


The Winchester Three (S2): Crossroad Blues

by Maries_Fiction_Fix



Series: The Winchester Three Chronicles [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Brother-Sister Relationships, Brothers, Demons, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Protective Siblings, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:13:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 90,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28419681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maries_Fiction_Fix/pseuds/Maries_Fiction_Fix
Summary: They're back! The ghouls, vampires, ghosts, spirits and even more terrifying entities. And wherever these evil beings are, you'll find the Winchester siblings Angel, Dean and Sam, hunters on the trail of the demon who murdered their mother... and of any other unholy agent of the Supernatural. At the end of The Beginning, Angel, Dean, Sam and their father were trapped in a twisted mass of metal and shattered glass. Crossroad Blues begins with the aftermath of that car crash and a shocking sacrifice that cements the bond between the Winchester siblings forever.(SECOND INSTALLMENT OF THE WINCHESTER THREE)
Series: The Winchester Three Chronicles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089137
Kudos: 3





	1. In My Time of Dying

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

  
 **WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

**Starring…**

_Jeffrey Dean Morgan as John Winchester_

_Samantha Smith as Mary Winchester_

_Katheryn Winnick as Angel Winchester_

_Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester_

_Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester_

_Jim Beaver as Bobby Singer_

_Shaine Jones as Asa Fox_

_Fredric Lehne as Azazel_

_Samantha Ferris as Ellen Harvelle_

_Alona Tal as Jo Harvelle_

_Chad Lindberg as Ash_

_Sterling K. Brown as Gordon Walker_

_Lindsey McKeon as Tessa the Reaper_

Bad Moon Rising blared from the radio of the wrecked impala as the possessed truck driver stepped out of his truck and walked over. Angel and Dean were both slumped unconsciously in the backseat, their heads busted and bleeding. John was slumped over in the passenger seat but as the trucker neared the drivers side door, Sam's eyes opened. He swallowed painfully as the demon pulled the side door off its hinges.

“Back.” Sam demanded as he pointed the gun directly at the demon, “Or I'll kill you, _I swear to god_.”

“You _won't_. You're saving that bullet for someone else.”

Sam cocked the gun, “You wanna bet?”

It smiled just before the demon smoke poured out of the man's mouth. As he collapsed, Sam uncokced the gun, and dropped his head back in relief.

“Oh my god!” The trucker yelled, “Did I do this?!”

“Dad? _Dad_ !” Sam yelled as he turned his head to his father but was met with no response, he looked up towards the backseat, “Dean? Angel? Guys?” Panic struck him when once again he was met with silence, “ _NO_!”

Soon, rescue vehicles and a medical helicopter filled the site of the crash. All four of the Winchesters were being loaded onto stretchers. The paramedics had patched them up as well as they could before strapping them into neck braces and moving them to the helicopters. Dean was loaded first, John second, then Angel followed and Sam was close behind her.

“Significant passenger side intrusion. Unresponsive.” The paramedic running beside Angel said, “BP is 180 over 75. She’s tachycardic, heart rate is 130 and rising.” 

“Are they okay?” Sam asked hurriedly as he tried to lift himself up on his own stretcher as the paramedics pushed him down, “ _Are they okay_?”

“She's seizing!” The paramedic yelled as he rushed them faster to the helicopter, “ _Lets go, lets go_!”

“Whats going on?” Sam demanded, “Tell me if they're okay!”

“You have to stay still!”

“Are they even _alive_?!”

**_At the hospital…_ **

Angel's eyes flew open and she sat up immediately. Her hand flew up to her head at the light pounding she felt before she looked around. She was alone, in an empty hospital room wearing a white t-shirt and blue hospital pants. Confusion hit her as she walked out of the room and into the empty hospital hallway.

“Sam? Dean?” Silence struck her after her voice echo bounced back, “ _Anybody_ ?” Slowly she walked to the nurses station and was met with a completely empty hospital as an eerie feeling overtook her, “Did I- _Did i die_?”

A familiar voice sounded from behind her, “Not yet.”

She swung around as her breathing sped up and shock filled her entire body. There her mother stood, smiling widely.

Angel took a tentative step away from her, “ _Mom_?”

“Hi sweetie…”

“This can't be happening…” 

Mary's face softened, “It is Angel. It's happening.”

“Fraid it is…”

Turning Angel took off back upstairs and ran into the first room she saw. There she was met with her own battered cut up body, intubated and attached to several different machines. Lying next to her was the body of her brother Dean, also intubated and connected to several machines.

Tears sprang to her eyes at the sight, “What the hell is going on?”

**_With Dean…_ **

Much like Angel, Dean jerked awake in his hospital bed and looked around in confusion. He worked his jaw with a grimace as he got out of bed wearing the same white t-shirt and blue pants Angel wore. The hallway he stepped out into was also empty but when he went down to the nurses station it was filled with nurses.

“Excuse me. Hi.” He smiled at one of the nurses who was shuffling papers around, “I, uh, i think I was in a car accident… My dad, my brother and my sister, I just need to find them.” The nurse was unresponsive to him, “ _Hello_?” 

He snapped his fingers in front of her, but got nothing in return. Turning, he ran back upstairs in a panic and found his own body on a bed, intubated and dying. Lying next to him was the body of his sister in similar condition.

**_With Angel…_ **

Angel immediately backed further into the room as her mother walked in, “This isn't real. I'm- I’m hallucinating or- or high off the meds or something.” She shook her head erratically, “ _This isn't real_.”

“Angel… baby, _this is real_. Right now this is happening.”

“ _What_ exactly _is_ happening?”

“You're dying, sweetheart.” Mary's eyes saddened, “Do you remember the car accident?”

“Yeah… yeah…” She hissed in a breath of pain and touched her head at the memory, “God, _that_ sucked.” Her eyes flashed to her mothers, “What are you doing here?”

“You called me here, Angie.”

“ _I_ called you here?” She scoffed, “Why- what- _why_ would i do that? I didn't…”

“To help you.” She explained, “It's your time Angel, and i'm here to help you through it.”

**_With Dean…_ **

Still reeling from the shock of seeing his and Angel's unconscious bodies, Dean turned slowly when a beaten up Sam entered the room. He stopped at the door and stared at Dean and Angel with tears in his eyes, almost completely broken. 

_“Sammy! You look good…” Dean smiled in relief, “Considering.”_

Pain crossed Sam's face as he nearly broke down at the sight of his siblings, “Oh, no.”

_Dean frowned when he moved to stand between the beds without answering him, “Man, tell me you can hear me.” Sam continued staring at their bodies with broken eyes, “How's dad? Is he okay? Come on, you're the psychic. Give me some ghost whispering or something!”_

“Your father’s awake.” The doctor earned Sam's attention from the door, “You can go see him if you like.”

_Dean relaxed slightly, “Thank god. And Angel?” His eyes came to study his intubated sister, “Is she okay?”_

“Doc…” Sam looked from their still bodies back to the doctor, “What about my brother and sister?”

“Well…” He walked into the room as he explained, “Your brother sustained serious injury: _blood loss, contusions to his liver and kidney_. But it's the head trauma I'm worried about. There's early signs of cerebral edema.”

“What can we do?”

“We won't know his full condition until he wakes up. _If_ he wakes up.”

Sam tensed at that, “ _If_?”

“I have to be honest…”

_Dean bristled, speaking over the doctor, “Oh, screw you, Doc, I'm waking up!”_

“Most people with this degree of injury wouldn't have survived this long. You need to have realistic expectations.”

“What about Angel?” Sam asked, looking over to her as he tried to keep it together, “How is she?”

“Your sister…” The doctor frowned which made Dean and Sam tense, “She's worse off than your brother. In addition to cracking her skull, she sustained a Coup-Contrecoup head injury. It happens when the brain jerks suddenly within the skull. Essentially, the brain strikes both inner sides of the skull which results in both sides of the brain being damaged.”

Sam gaped at him in grief, “ _Brain_ damage?”

“I'm afraid so… She suffered two severe seizures before getting here and had significant bleeding and swelling in her brain. We were able to take care of some of it in surgery but… Like your brother, we won't know how significant the damage to her brain is unless she wakes up. They're both fighting very hard.”

_“Come on, Sam…” Dean's eyes went from the Doctor to his brother, “Go find some hoodoo priest to lay some mojo on us.” At Sams despair filled look, Dean pressed, “Sam?”_

**_In Johns room…_ **

John laid in a hospital bed, his arm in a sling. Awkwardly one-handed, he pulled something out of his wallet to hand to Sam.

“Here. Give them my insurance.”

Sam took the card and smiled when he read it, “ _Elroy McGillicutty_?

“And his three loving kids.” John smirked before becoming serious, “So… what _else_ did the doctor say about Dean and Angel?”

“ _Nothing_ .” Sam shook his head sadly, “Look… The doctors won't do anything, then _we'll_ have to, that's all. I don't know, I'll find some _hoodoo priest_ and lay some mojo on them.”

John nodded as he looked at Sam with conviction, “We'll look for someone.”

“Yeah.”

“But Sam…” John trailed off as he carefully looked him over, “I don't know if we're gonna find anyone.”

“Why not?” He bristled, “Angel and I found that faith healer before.”

“Alright… That was- that was _one in a million_.”

“So _what_?” Sam's voice rose with anger, “Do we just sit here with our thumbs up our ass?” 

“ _No_ , I said we'd _look_ , alright? I'll check under _every_ stone.” He studied him, “Where's the Colt?”

“Your son and daughter are _dying_ , and _you're worried about the Colt_?”

“We're hunting this demon, and maybe it's hunting us too. That gun may be our _only_ card.”

“It's in the trunk.” Sam glared, “They dragged the car to a yard off of I-83.”

“Alright.” John instructed, “You've gotta clean out that trunk before some junk man sees what's inside.”

“I already called Bobby.” Sam dismissed him, “He's like an hour out, he's gonna tow the Impala back to his place.”

“You go meet up with Bobby. You get that Colt, and you bring it back to me. And you watch out for hospital security.”

Sam smirked, “I think I've got it covered.”

As he got up to leave John stopped him, picking up a sheet of paper, “ _Here_. I made a list of things I need, have Bobby pick them up for me.”

“Acacia?” Sam looked at him curiously as he read it, “Oil of Abramelin? What's this stuff for?”

“ _Protection_.”

“Hey, Dad?” Sam turned with a sigh before leaving, “You know, the demon, he said he had _plans_ for me, and children _like_ me. Do you have any idea what he meant by that?”

“No…” John shook his head, “I don't.”

Sam left, shutting the door to reveal Dean, who had been leaning behind it.

_Dean studied his father knowingly, “Well, you sure know something.”_

**_At the junkyard…_ **

“Oh, man…” Sam looked down at the mangled Impala from beside Bobby, “Dean is gonna be _pissed_.”

“Look, Sam. This…” Bobby shook his head, “This just ain't worth a tow.” He lifted the mangled hood before dropping it, “I say we empty the trunk, sell the rest for scrap.”

“No…” Sam frowned as he took out his severely broken laptop from the backseat, “Dean and Angel would both kill me if we did that. When Dean gets better he's gonna want to fix this.”

“There's nothing to fix.” Bobby walked around the car, “The frame's a _pretzel_ , and the engine's ruined. There's barely any parts worth salvaging.”

“ _Listen to me_ , Bobby.” Sam looked to him from over the hood of the impala, “If there's only _one_ working part, _that's enough_ . We're _not_ just going to give up on…”

“Okay.” Bobby said quietly as Sam trailed off painfully, “You got it.”

“Here, uh…” Sam took a breath as he handed over the paper John gave him earlier, “Dad asked for you to get this stuff for him.”

Bobby looked it over with a frown, “What's John want with _this_?”

“Protection from the demon?” Bobby gave him a look, “ _What_?”

“Oh, nothing, it's just, uh…”

“Bobby?” Sams brows furrowed, “What's going on?”

**_With Angel…_ **

“So you're telling me… I _summoned_ you here to- to help me _give up_?”

“Not give up.” Mary shook her head, “I'm here to help you move on. So it's easier for you.”

Angel scoffed, “ _Easier_?”

“Honey… you can keep asking the same questions or we can get to business.” She studied her daughter, “ _You_ tell _me_ why we’re here.”

“What are you talking about?” Angel shook her head, “ _Car accident_ , remember? I had my head bashed in, _that's_ why i'm here.”

“Is that the _only_ reason?”

“What, you think I _wanna_ die? That i want to leave Sam and Dean and- and Dad behind? _Huh_ ? No! _A demon plowed into the impala_ !” She motioned her head, “I have a brain injury, _that's_ why i'm here. Hence the bandages. _Hello_.”

“We’re not gonna get anywhere until you admit this is more than just a car accident, Angel.”

“Look… I'm a hunter… sure i get a little reckless sometimes but what you're implying… Its- that's _not_ what's happening. I'm not giving up, I don't _want_ to die.”

Mary shifted, “You've been a hunter since you were a kid. _Thirteen._ Your childhood was ripped away from you… _I_ was ripped away from you. Crappy things have happened to you over and over again, Angel. It's okay to be tired.”

“I'm not tired! That's not what this is!”

“Regardless, it's time to let go, Angie…” Mary's eyes softened as she brought her hand out, “You've helped so many people during your life. You can finally rest, _it's okay to let go_.”

“ _No_!” Angel stumbled back, “I’m- i’m not going anywhere! I’m not dying!” Angel then crumpled in pain as her body started to flicker in and out, “What the hells happening to me?”

Her mother laid a hand on her, “I’m afraid it’s time, dear.”

Suddenly she didn't see her mother anymore. Each time she flickered she saw her body being crowded around by a bunch of nurses and doctors as Sam hovered by the door. There was something floating above her body as well. And it didn't look like anything she'd ever seen before.

**SECTION TWO**

Sam stalked into John's room with a duffel bag in hand. Dean hurriedly met him at the door and started trying to talk to him

_“Sammy! Tell me you can friggin' hear me, man, there's something in the hospital. Now, you've got to bring me and Angel back and we've got to hunt this thing.” When he just continued glaring at John Dean bristled, “Sam!”_

John studied him, “You're quiet.” 

A fuming Sam hurled the bag onto his bed with a crash, “Did you think I wouldn't find out?”

“What are you talking about?”

“That stuff from Bobby, you don't use it to _ward off_ a demon, you use it to _summon_ one. You're planning on bringing the demon here, aren't you? _Having some stupid macho showdown_?!”

“I have a _plan_ , Sam.”

“That's exactly my point! Dean and Angel are _dying_ , and you have a _plan_! You know what, you care more about killing this demon than you do saving your own son and daughter!”

_“No, no, guys!” Dean yelled right along with them, “Don't do this!”_

“Do _not_ tell me how I feel!” John yelled back, “I am doing this for Dean and Angel!” 

“ _How_ ? How is _revenge_ going to help them? You're not thinking about anybody but _yourself_ ! _It's the same selfish obsession_!”

_Dean yelled at them again, “Come on guys, don't do this!”_

“You know, it's funny, I thought it was _your_ obsession too! This demon killed your _mother_ , killed your _girlfriend_ . You _begged_ me to be part of this hunt. Now, if you'd killed that damn thing when you had the chance, _none of this would have happened_!”

“It was _possessing_ you, Dad, I would have killed _you_ too!”

“Yeah, and your brother and your sister would be _awake_ right now!”

_“Shut up, both of you!”_

Fire blazed in Sam's eyes at that comment, “ _Go to hell_.” 

“I should have _never_ taken you along in the first place. I knew it was a _mistake_ , I knew I was wrong-”

_“I said SHUT UP!”_

Dean smacked a glass of water off the table and it went flying, crashing to the floor. Beat, Sam and John looked at eachother with confusion.

_Dean's eyes widened in surprise as well, “Dude, I full-on Swayze'd that mother.”_

Suddenly nurses and doctors started running in the hallway towards Angel and Dean's room. 

_Dean looked up, “What is it?”_

John craned his neck, “Something's going on out there.” 

He jerked his head to Sam who ran in the direction of the chaos with Dean close behind. In Dean and Angels room, the monitors that were connected to Angel were beeping erratically. A doctor and a group of nurses surrounded her as they tried to resuscitate her.

The doctor got the paddles ready before looking at his team as he got ready to shock her, “All clear.”

Sam huddled in the doorway with tears in his eyes, “ _No_.”

“Still no pulse.”

“Okay, let's go again, _360_.”

“Charging.”

Sam cried from the doorway as he fidgeted helplessly. Dean slowly came up behind him and saw a ghostly figure floating over Angel's still body.

_“You get the hell away from her!” He ran to the bed and faced the thing down, “I said get back!”_

Sam blinked in shock before looking around in confusion, as if he'd heard something as Dean grabbed for the spirit. He latched on momentarily before it hurled him back and then soared out of the room. The monitors surrounding Angel slowed to a quiet beep.

“We have a pulse.” The doctor breathed a sigh of relief, “We're back into sinus rhythm.”

Dean ran into the hallway, looking for the spirit but it vanished. Sam let a breath of relief fall from him as he backed into the hallway, watching from there. 

_Dean came back and stood by him, “Don't worry, Sammy. I'm not going anywhere and neither is Angel. I'm getting that thing before it gets her. It's some kind of spirit, but I could grab it. And if I can grab it, I can kill it.”_

Once Sam returned to John's room, he tried to explain what happened while he was in Dean and Angel's room.

John looked at Sam crazily, “What do you mean, you _felt_ something?”

“I mean it felt like, like _Dean_ . Like he was there, just out of eyeshot or something. I don't know if it's my psychic thing or what, it… But do you think it's even _possible_? I mean, do you think his spirit could be around?”

“Anything's possible.” John stated, “Maybe- maybe he's protecting Angel. Keeping her from slipping away from us.”

“Maybe.” Sam nodded, “Well, there's one way to find out.”

When he turned to leave John leaned up, “Where are you going?”

“I gotta pick something up. I'll be back.”

“Wait, Sam.” When he turned John looked him in the eye, “I promise I won't hunt this demon. Not until we know Dean and Angel are okay.” 

Sam studied him for a beat before nodding and walking out.

**SECTION THREE**

**_Dean and Angels room…_ **

Angel flickered back in only to be met with an empty room. Well not so empty. She and her brother were still attached to machines side by side.

_“What the hell is happening to me?”_

Sam entered the room quietly, clutching a brown paper bag in his arms, “Hey guys. I think maybe one of you is around. And if you are, _don't make fun of me for this_ , but um, well, there's one way we can talk.” 

He pulled out a box labeled ‘ _Mystical Talking Board_ ’.

_Relief hit Angel like a ton of bricks when she saw him, “Sam! Wacky shit is happening Sammy and apparently I'm dying and there's some kind of weird ghost thing after me! I’m being hunted by something I can't even see!” He didn't answer and she frowned, finally seeing the board he was setting up, “Oh come on!”_

Dean was now behind him with his arms folded. He studied Angel's pale body on the bed before turning to study his little brother.

_“Oh, you gotta be kidding me.”_

_As soon as Deans spirit popped into view Angel frowned, “Dean? Dean! Hello?” She went to shake his arm but her hand went right through him, “So i can't even communicate with my own brother's spirit?!” She yelled into the room, “Seriously?”_

Sam circled around the bed and sat cross legged on the floor. He opened the box and pulled out the board before he readied himself over the board.

“Dean? Angel? Are- are one of you two… _here_?”

_“A ouija board…” Angel shook her head with a smile, “Not a bad idea, Sammy.”_

_“God, I feel like I'm at a slumber party.” Dean sat opposite Sam in front of the board, “Alright, Sam. This isn't going to work.”_

Angel smirked at them as Sam had his hands poised on the pointer. Dean placed his fingers on it and slowly, concentrated, slid it to yes on the board. 

_Sam gasped as Deans brows raised, “I'll be damned.”_

_“Okay, good…” Angel nodded as she knelt beside them, “Now… if only one of you could freakin see me because I seem to be getting more and more transparent the longer we’re here.”_

“Good.” Sam smiled as he laughed in relief, “ _Good_. Which one of you is here? Or both of you?” 

_Dean moved the piece to spell out his name, “Just me man.” His eyes traveled up to Angel's body sadly, “I don't know where Angel is…”_

_She waved her hands in front of both of them, “I’m right freakin here!”_

Sam was saddened at that a little but was still a bit relieved to be hearing from Dean, “It's good to hear from you, man. It hasn't been the same without you, Dean.”

_“Damn straight.”_

Dean placed his fingers on the pointer again and started sliding it around.

Sam looked down, watching the pointer move again, “Dean, what? _H? U?_ Hunt? _Hunting_? Are you hunting?” 

_Angel studied the board and then Dean, “At least I got a good hunter on the case, even in the afterlife.” She shook her head, “Now, what exactly is it?”_

The pointer slid back to yes, “It's in the hospital… whatever you're hunting? Do, do you know what it is? Is it after you guys?”

_Dean looked up, “One question at a time, dude.”_

“What is it?”

_The pointer slid again during the following, to R, E, A, P, “I don't think it's killing people. I think it's taking them. You know, when their time's just up.”_

_“A reaper. Dean… Is it after Angel?” Angel looked to Dean's grim face and swallowed as the pointer slid to yes, “If it's here naturally, there's no way to stop it.”_

_“Great. So I'm dead, and then Dean’s next im sure.”_

_“Yeah, you can't kill death.”_

“So she's… and you're…”

_“Screwed.”_

_“We’re screwed, Sam.”_

“ _No_ , no, no, there's gotta be a way.” Sam stood and started pacing, “There's gotta be a way. Dad'll know what to do.” He quickly left the room and hurried to Johns, only to see that his bed was empty, “Dad?” Sam quickly grabbed the journal and went back into Dean and Angel's room, sitting on the edge of Dean's bed, “Hey, so Dad wasn't in his room.”

_Dean looked confused, “Where is he?”_

_“That can't be good…”_

“But I got his journal, so who knows? Maybe there's something here.” 

Sam flipped open the journal and leafed through it. Occasionally he would glance up and look at Deans unconscious form and then back at Angels, shifting worriedly. 

_Dean came to stand behind him and Angel next to him, “Thanks for not giving up on us, Sammy.”_

_Angel frowned, “We better make it out of this… or it's gonna kill Sam…”_

Sam turned to a page that said _‘Reapers’_ and Angel leaned over and read something. 

_Her eyes went wide with realization, “Well I'll be damned.” running out of the room she hollered, “Hey! Hey! Where are you?”_

“Over here, Angel…” Her mom's voice sounded from an empty room down the hall where she was sitting on the edge of the bed smiling softly, “Hi sweetie.”

“Don't call me that.” Angel glared as she crossed her arms, “You know… As a hunter, you read the most _interesting_ things. _For example_ , did you know that reapers can alter human perception?”

“Can they?”

“Oh yeah. Basically they can make themselves appear however they want.” Her glare deepened, “ _Like someone's dead mother_. Classy by the way.”

Mary sighed deeply, “I was wondering when you would figure it out.”

“Yeah well you can thank my brothers. To which I can see now by the way. _Your_ doing?”

“When Dean stopped me from reaping you the first time I thought it might be easier on you if you could see them one last time. It's my sandbox, I can make you see whatever I want.”

“Right… well how about getting out of my mother's meat suit?” Angel flinched, “ _Little bit to Chicken Soup for the Soul…_ ”

“Of course…” At a snap of her fingers she morphed into Tessa the Reaper, “Better?”

Angel checked her out appreciatively, “ _Much_.”

“Sorry. I thought it'd be easier for you to transition to the afterlife with someone more familiar. My true form isn't very appealing. This was really the only way I could get you to talk to me.”

She shook her head, “Talk about _what_?”

“How death is nothing to fear.” She touched Angel's cheek, “It's your time to go, Angel. Even your brothers can't stop that.” 

**_In the boiler room…_ **

John pushed the door open and entered, carrying the duffel bag. He walked through a dark and dripping hallway to a clear space, placing the bag down. He pulled out a box of white chalk and started drawing a large symbol on the floor. Once finished he placed several candles and a black bowl around it and began chanting in latin. He slid a knife across his palm, drawing blood and dripping it on the bowl. After lighting a match he dropped it in and the sand in the bowl flared before going out. John stood, looking around expectantly. 

A hand grabbed his shoulder from behind, “What the hell are you doing down here, buddy?”

John backed up, “I can explain.”

“ _Yeah_? You're going to explain to security. Come on. You follow me.”

“ _Hey_.” John pulled the colt out and cocked it, “How stupid do you think I am?”

The man's eyes started glowing yellow, “You really want an honest answer to that?” Two possessed men in lab coats stalked by and took positions behind John, “You conjuring me, John. _I'm surprised_ . I took you for a lot of things, but _suicidally reckless_ wasn't one of them.”

“I could always shoot you.”

“You could always _miss_ .” He laughed, “And you've only got _one_ try, don't cha? Did you really think you could trap me?”

  
“Oh, I don't want to _trap_ you.” He lowered the gun, “I want to make a deal.”

**SECTION FOUR**

**_I_ ** **_n Dean and Angel's room…_ **

Sam stood on the window side of Dean's bed, hands in his pockets. Deans spirit stood close behind him, leaning on the wall.

“Dean, are you here?” Sam looked around, “I- I couldn't find anything in the book. I don't know how to help you guys, but I'll keep trying, alright? _As long as you guys keep fighting_ . You _gotta_ keep fighting and- and protecting Angel too alright?. I mean, come on… You guys can't, you can't leave me here alone with Dad. _We'll kill each other_ , you know that.” He paused, trying to control the emotion that flooded through him, “Dean, Angel… You gotta hold on. You can't go…” He looked between both of them, tears flooding his eyes, “Not now. We were just starting to be siblings again.” He took a deep breath, “Can you two even hear me?”

“I can hear you Sammy…” Dean came over and eyed Angel, “I just don't know about Angel…”

**_Back with Angel and Tessa…_ **

“Look… I'm not dying tonight.” Angel shook her head at the black haired beauty, “I don't care what you've got to say. _It's not my time_.”

“It _is_.”

“Cut me a break here, lady.”

“Stage three: _bargaining_.”

“This isn't a joke. _My family's in danger_ . If you haven't noticed there's a _war_ going on out there and the Winchesters are on the chop and block.”

“The fight's over.”

“ _No_ , it isn't.”

“It is for _you_ .” She studied the eldest Winchester, “ _And_ your brother Dean. You two aren't the first soldiers I've plucked from the field. They all feel the same. _They can't leave. Victory hangs in the balance_ . But… they're _wrong_. The battle goes on without them.”

“Without either of us to guide him, Sams going to get himself _killed_.”

“Maybe he _will_ , maybe he _won't_ . Nothing you can do about it. It's an honorable death. _A warrior's death._ ”

“I don't care about a _warrior's_ death.” Angel scoffed, “My corpse is going to rot in the ground and my family is going to die! _No_. I'm not going with you, I don't care what you do.”

“Well… we’ve all got a choice, I suppose. I can't _make_ you come with me, _but_ you're not getting back in your body. _And that's just facts_ . So _yes_ , you can stay. You'll stay here for years. _Disembodied, scared, and over the decades it'll probably drive you mad_ . Maybe you'll even get _violent_.”

She narrowed her eyes, “What are you saying?”

“Angel. How do you think angry spirits are born? They can't let go and they can't move on. And _you're_ about to become one. _The same thing you hunt_.”

**_Back in the Boiler Room…_ **

The Demon, John, and the two minions were still in a circle around the summoning symbol, “It's very _unseemly_ , making deals with devils. How do I know this isn't just another trick?”

“It's no _trick_ .” John scowled, “I will give you the Colt _and_ the bullet, but you've got to help Dean and Angel. _You've got to bring them back_.”

“Why, _John_ , you're a _sentimentalist_. If only your kids knew how much their daddy loved them.” 

“It's a good trade. You care a hell of a lot more about this gun than you do them.”

“ _Don't be so sure_ . Dean killed some people very special to me. But still…” He grinned, “You're right, _they're not much of a threat_ . And neither is your other son.” John lowered his head at the mention of Sam, “You know the _truth_ , right? About Sammy? _And_ the other children?”

“Yeah… I've known for a while.”

“But _Sam_ doesn't, does he? _You've_ been playing _dumb_.”

“Can you bring them back? _Yes or no_?”

“ _No_. But I know someone who can.” The Demon waved, “It’s not a problem.”

“Good.” John shifted, “Before I give you the gun, I'm going to want to make sure that they're okay. _With my own eyes_.”

“Oh, John, I'm _offended_ . Don't you trust me?” John shook his head pointedly earning an eyeroll, “ _Fine_.”

“So we have a deal?”

“ _No_ , John, not yet. You still need to sweeten the pot. _After all,_ the colt is only solid for _one_ kid.” He smiled sickly, “Unless you want to _choose_ between your son and daughter.”

Johns glared hardened, “What do I have to do?”

“There's something _else_ I want, _as much as that gun_ . Maybe _more_.”

**_Back with Angel and Tessa…_ **

Angel sat on the bed, tears streaming down her face as she thought of her brothers.

Tessa sat beside her as she stroked Angel's hair, “It's time to put the pain behind you.”

“Where am i going? Heaven?”

“Sorry…” She smiled softly, “I can't give away the big punchline. _Moment of truth_ . No changing your mind later. _So…_ what's it going to be?”

As Angel turned to look at her, the lights started flickering as a familiar buzzing started.

Angel looked around in confusion, “Why are you doing that?”

“I'm _not_ doing it.”

They both turned to a vent in the floor and saw demon smoke pour out of it. 

Angel scowled and backed up, “What the _hell_?”

“You can't do this!” Tessa yelled, “Get away!”

“What's happening?!”

Tessa screamed as the demon flowed into her mouth. She turned, eyes glowing yellow as she faced Angel.

“Today's your lucky day, kid.” 

The demon placed a hand on Angel's forehead causing her to convulse. Back in their room, Sam was still sitting on the bed sadly. He jumped when Angel gasped, waking suddenly and choking on the tube in her throat.

“Angel? Somebody help!” Sam yelled into the hall just as Dean suddenly woke the same way, choking on the tube in his throat, “Dean?” Sam ran into the hallway, “Help! I need help!”

**SECTION FIVE**

“I can't explain it. The edema and bleeding has vanished in both of you. All of your internal contusions are healed. Both your vitals are good.” The doctor shook his head in shock and amazement, “You two have some kind of angel watching over you.”

Angel grinned up at him, “Thanks, doc.”

When he left Dean turned to Sam, “So, you said a Reaper was after us?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay…” Angel pressed as she pursed her lips, also not remembering anything, “So how'd we cheat death?”

“You got me.” He shrugged, “You two really don't remember anything?”

“Nope. Kinda got a migraine, that's about it.”

“I got this pit in my stomach.” Dean frowned, “Guys, something's wrong.”

“ _Survivor's remorse,_ maybe?”

A knock at the door sounded as John hovered in the doorway, “How you two feelin?”

“Fine, I guess.” Dean shrugged, “I'm alive.”

“Same.” Angel nodded, “Little achy but alive.”

“That's what matters.”

Sam turned to him in instant anger, “Where were you last night?”

“I had some things to take care of.”

“Well, _that's_ specific.”

Dean rolled his eyes, “Come on, Sam.”

“Did you go after the demon?”

“ _No_.”

“You know…” Sam scoffed, “ _Why don't I believe you right now_?”

“Can we not fight?” John pleaded, “You know, half the time we're fighting, I don't know what we're fighting about. We're just butting heads. Sammy, I- I've made some mistakes. _But I've always done the best I could_. I just don't want to fight anymore, okay?”

“Dad…” Sam looked taken aback by this, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Yeah… I'm just a little tired.” He brushed him off quickly, “Hey, son, would you, uh, would you mind getting me a cup of caffeine?”

“Yeah.” Sam nodded, “Yeah, sure.”

Sam left, still frowning as John looked after him sadly. 

Dean looked to Angel, who was just as confused as him, before turning back to their father, “What is it?”

John addressed Dean first, “You know, when you were a kid… I'd come home from a hunt, and after what I'd seen, I'd be- I'd be _wrecked_ . And _you_ , you'd come up to me and you'd put your hand on my shoulder and you'd look me in the eye and you'd… You'd say ‘ _It's okay, Dad_ ’” He paused as his emotion filled eyes searched Deans, “Dean, _I'm sorry_.”

Confusion and worry rocked Dean, “What?”

“You shouldn't have had to say that to me. _I should have been saying that to you_ . And Angel…” He turned to her, despair in his eyes that nearly broke her heart at the sight, “I put- I put _way_ too much on your shoulders. I made you grow up too fast. You took care of Dean and Sammy… _Hell_ you took care of me. You did that, and you didn't complain, _not once_ . I just want you to know that I am _so_ proud of you.” He looked between them, “ _I'm so proud of the both of you._ ”

“Dad…” Angel bulked, “You possessed again?”

“ _No_.” He chuckled, “It's really me.”

“Then why are you saying all this?” Dean asked, “What's going on?”

John came closer as he gave them both an intense look, “I want you to watch out for Sammy, okay?”

Dean answered immediately, “Yeah, Dad, you know we will.” 

John's eyes pierced his daughter's eyes, “Angel, you gotta promise me you're going to take care of both of them like you always have. You hear me?”

“I hear you Dad. I will, _I promise_.” She searched his intense face, “What's going on? You're scaring the crap out of me.”

“You're scaring _both_ of us.”

“Don't be scared.” He leaned down between them closely, whispering something only the two of them would be able to hear, “If you can't save Sam from himself then you two have to be strong enough to kill him.”

Dean and Angel both pulled back in shock at his words. They were both speechless as they processed everything, watching him with wide eyes as John walked out of the room.

In the hallway, Sam walked back to the room as he carried a cup of coffee. He looked into a room and saw John on the floor, unmoving.

“Dad?!” 

Dropping the cup, Sam ran to John's side, kneeling over him and screaming for help. Soon a crowd of doctors and nurses flooded the room in an attempt to resuscitate John. Angel, Dean and Sam hovered in the doorway, as a nurse tried to push them out.

“No, no, it's our Dad. It's our Dad!” Dean pleaded, “Come on!”

The doctor commanded, “Okay, stop compressions.”

“Still no pulse.”

“Okay, that's it everybody. I'll call it. Time of death: _10:41 am_.”


	2. Everybody Loves a Clown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel, Sam and Dean listen to a message on John's cell phone from a woman named Ellen and decide to track her down. They are shocked to discover Ellen runs a road house that also serves as a gathering place for hunters like themselves.

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

  
**WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

Standing beside each other in the night were Sam, Dean and Angel, each had tears in their eyes as they tried to hold it together. The only light that could be seen, came from John's funeral pyre where his wrapped body burned. Sam was near tears as he fidgeted emotionally from beside them. Angel and Dean were silently staring into the flames.

“Before he… _Before_.” Sam said painfully, “Did he say anything to you guys? About anything?”

“ _No_.” Dean didn't even look up, “Nothing.”

Angel's head lifted to look at Dean curiously. He quickly dismissed her questioning look with a glare.

**_One Week Later: Bobby's Junkyard…_ **

Dean was underneath the Impala working on it, only his legs stuck out. The Impala was a little more than a rusted frame, but it looked considerably less crunched than last time. Angel was busy running laps around the yard. Working out always seemed to help keep her mind off whatever was bothering her at the time.

Sam quietly approached his brother, “How's the car coming along?”

“Slow.”

“Yeah? Need any help?”

Dean dropped something heavily, “What, _you_ under a hood? _I'll pass_.”

Sam looked exasperated as Angel ran up and grabbed her water bottle from the table, “Need anything else, then?”

Dean pushed himself out from under the car and stood, “ _Stop it_ , Sam.”

Sam looked from him to Angel, who steadily drank from her water bottle without meeting his eyes, before looking back to Dean, “Stop _what_?”

“ _Stop_ asking if I need anything, _stop_ asking if I'm okay. _I'm okay_. Really. I promise.”

Angel nodded as she started stretching, “You know… that kinda goes for me too.” At his look she shrugged, “ _What_ ? You've been, like, _glued to our side_ all week.”

“Alright, its just…” He rolled his eyes, “We've been at Bobby's for over a _week_ now and you two haven't brought up Dad _once_.”

“You know what?” Dean turned to him annoyed, “ _You're right_ . Come here, I'm gonna lay my head gently on your shoulder. Maybe we can _cry, hug_ , and maybe even _slow dance_.”

“Don't patronize me, Dean. _Dad is dead, the Colt is gone, and it seems pretty damn likely that the demon is behind all of this_ . You two are acting like _nothing_ happened.”

“Can you two stop fighting for five minutes? I mean jeez, can _no one_ in this family _ever_ get along?”

“Well, what does he want me to say?” Dean scoffed, “ _What do you want me to say_?”

“Say _something_ , alright? _Hell_ , say _anything_ ! Aren't you _angry_ ? Don't you want _revenge_ ? All you do is sit out here all day long buried underneath this damn car.” He turned on Angel just then, “And all _you_ do is work out all day! _None of that is helpful_.”

“Sam…” Angel scoffed as she shook her head at him, “We’ve got no leads on the demon _or_ the colt so how are we even going to _start_ the revenge part of this? _We can't even read dads freakin research_! Unless you've got another idea, the way Dean and I know how to deal is to keep our hands busy, so… did you come out here to argue or you got somethin’?”

“ _I've got something_ , alright?” He pulled out a cell phone, “It's what I came by here to tell you two. This is one of dad's old phones. Took me a while, but I cracked his voicemail code. Listen to this.” 

Sam handed the cell phone to Angel, who took it reluctantly and put it on speaker.Dean looked annoyed but listened without complaint.

_A woman's voice sounded, “John, it's Ellen. Again. Look, don't be stubborn, you know I can help you. Call me.”_

“That message is four months old.”

Dean shifted, “Dad saved that chick's message for _four months_?”

“ _Yeah_.”

Angel looked him over, “Dad mention her in the journal?”

“No, but i ran a trace on her phone number and I got an address.”

Angel grinned, “I'll get the trans am.”

**_At the Roadhouse Saloon…_ **

Angel quietly pulled her car up to the bar. Sam sat passenger and Dean in the back. 

He grumbled as he got out, “I'm too big for this thing.”

“Oh, shut up.” Angel closed the door, “It was either _my_ car or a beat up minivan of Bobbys and I didn't think you'd wanna drive _that_.”

Sam chuckled at them as they started looking around, “Hello? Anybody here?”

“Hey.” Dean motioned, “You bring the, uh…”

“Of course.” 

He tossed the lock picking kit to Dean who caught it. They opened the door and went inside quietly. The saloon was quiet except for a fly buzzing around and a man snoring. A light bulb above them blew out as they walked towards the back to see a man passed out on a pool table.

“Hey, buddy?” Sam paused, “I'm guessing that isn't Ellen.”

“Nope.” Angel said, checking his pulse, “But he's alive at least.”

“Good.”

Sam walked into a back room to look around as Angel walked further into the room they were already in. Dean walked down the steps the opposite way, but paused as he felt the point of a gun touch his back.

“Oh god, _please_ let that be a rifle.”

“ _No_ .” The gun cocked after a woman's voice was heard, “I'm just _real_ happy to see you. _Don't move_.”

Angel hugged the wall and peaked over to see a blonde had a rifle pointed at her brother's back. Quietly she maneuvered her way around until she could come up behind her.

“ _Not moving_ , copy that.” Dean's eyes moved to where Angel used to be but frowned when he couldn't see her anymore, “You know… you should know something, miss. When you put a rifle on someone, you don't want to put it right against their back, ‘cause it makes it _real_ easy to do…” He turned fluidly, grabbing the rifle and releasing the clip, “ _That_.”

She punched him in the face before quickly taking back the rifle and pointing it back on him. 

Dean doubled over as he clutched his nose, “Angel! Need some help over here!” Dean muttered, “I can't see, _I can't even see_.”

“I’m right here, Dean.” She cocked her pistol right by Jos head making her tense, “Why don't you hand that over, sweetheart? I tend to get a little itchy when people point guns at my little brothers.” She did so and Angel tossed the gun to the side, “ _Sam_? You alright?”

The back door opened to reveal Sam, both hands on his head as he entered slowly, “Uh I'm a little… _tied up_.” 

He motioned his head, indicating another woman behind him who had a handgun pointed at his head.

Angel tensed, “Drop the gun.”

“You first darlin’.” The woman then eyed their faces, “You said your names were _Angel, Sam and Dean_ ? _Winchester_?”

The siblings all looked at each other, “Yeah.”

She laughed, “ _Son of a bitch_.”

The blonde looked to the woman curiously, “Mom, you know these people?”

“Yeah… I think these are John Winchester's kids.” She lowered her gun with a chuckle, and in return Angel did the same, “Hey, I'm _Ellen_ . This is my daughter _Jo_.”

Angel raised a brow between the women, “ _Hey…_ ”

Dean smirked at Jo, “You're not gonna hit me again, are you?”

A few moments later Ellen handed Dean a small towel filled with ice, “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” Dean nodded as he put it to his nose, “You called our dad, said you could help. Help with _what_?”

“Well, the demon, of course…” Ellen nodded, “I heard he was closing in on it.”

“Was there an article in the _Demon Hunters Quarterly_ that I missed?” Dean scoffed, “I mean, _who are you_? How do you know about all this?”

“Hey, I just run a saloon.” Ellen smiled as she put her hands up, “But hunters _have_ been known to pass through now and again. _Including_ your dad, a long time ago. John was like family once.”

“Oh yeah?” Dean snarked, “How come he never mentioned you before?”

Her face grew grim, “You'd have to ask him that.”

“So _why_ exactly do we need your help?”

Angel kicked her brother's leg, “ _Dean_.” 

“Hey, don't do me any favors.” Ellen glared, “Look, if you don't want my help, _fine_ . Don't let the door smack your ass on the way out. But John _wouldn't_ have sent you if…” She stopped as she read each of their faces, “He didn't send you…” Dean looked down then back at Sam and Angel, “He's all right, isn't he?”

“No…” Angel answered sadly, “He, uh… he passed.”

“We think it was the demon…” Sam added painfully, “It, um, it just got him before he got it, I guess.”

Ellen nodded slowly as she looked between them all, “I'm so sorry.”

“It's okay.” Dean's eyes met hers dismissively, “We're all right.”

Her eyes traveled between Deans and Angels, “Really, I know how close you and your dad-”

“ _Really_ , lady.” Dean snapped, “ _We’re fine_.”

“Look, if you can help…” Angel got up with a sigh, pulling her attention from Dean, “We’re more than grateful to take it.”

“Well, _we_ can't.” Ellen looked to Jo before turning back to Angel, “But _Ash_ will.”

She raised a brow, “ _Ash_?”

Ellen smirked before hollering, “Ash!”

“What?” The man passed out on the pool table jerked awake with a grunt as he flailed around, “It closing time?”

Sam bulked, “ _That's_ Ash?”

“Mm-hmm.” Jo nodded with a smile, “He's a _genius_.”

Later on, Dean slapped a brown folder down on the bar where Sam, Ash and Angel sat as he stood behind them, “You've gotta be kidding me, this guy's no genius. _He's a Lynyrd Skynyrd roadie_.”

Ash grinned, “I like you.” 

Dean smiled, “Thanks.”

His eyes drifted to Angel, “But i _really_ like you.”

“Yeah, i bet.” Angel dismissed with a chuckle, “Show us the genius, babe.” She pulled the folder from Dean and opened it, “This stuff's about a year's worth of our Dad's work. Let's see what you make of it.”

Ash pulled the papers out and started rifling through them. He shook his head as his brows furrowed.

“Come on. _This crap ain't real._ There ain't _nobody_ can track a demon like _this_.”

Sam shifted, “Our Dad could.”

“There are n _onparametrics, statistical overviews, prospects and correlations._ I mean… _damn_ ! They're signs. _Omens_ . Uh, if you can track 'em, you can track this demon. You know, like _crop failures, electrical storms_ …” He looked up at them with wide eyes, “You ever been struck by lightning? _It ain't fun_.”

Angel cocked her head, “So can you track it or not?”

“ _Yeah_ , with _this_ , I think so. But it's gonna take time, uh, give me…” He thought for a beat, “ _Fifty one hours_.” 

As he got up to leave Dean earned his attention, “Hey, man?” 

“Yeah?”

“I, uh, _I dig the haircut._ ”

Ash snapped his fingers with a smirk, “All business up front, _party in the back_.” He winked at Angel, “The ladies love it.”

Angel shook her head at him but couldn't help the smile, “I'm sure they do.”

As he left, Jo walked by, sharing a flirty eye with Dean. He checked her out tiredly, before getting up to follow. 

“Hey, Ellen…” Sam said from beside Angel, when something behind the bar caught his eye, “What is that?”

“It's a police scanner. We keep tabs on things we-”

“No, no.” He shook his head, “The, um, the _folder_.”

“Uh, I was gonna give this to a friend of mine but…” Ellen looked up from the folder to study Sam and Angel, “Go ahead and take a look, if you want.”

She placed the folder in front of Sam who opened it immediately. It had some newspaper clippings attached to the front where red marker was scrawled on it:

COUPLE MURDERED

CHILD LEFT ALIVE

MEDFORD, WISC.

Angel read the folder from beside him, “Sounds like an interesting case… might make the fifty one hours we need to burn pass by a little quicker.”

“Yeah…” Sam motioned to Ellen, “We’ll take care of it.”

Angel raised a suspicious brow at her little brother. She knew he was never one to really jump for new cases. Especially when they were in the middle of dealing with The Demon. She expected him to immediately turn the case down not pick it up for them to take.

“Dean.” Regardless, she turned to call her other brother away from Jo, “Come here, check this out.”

He got up and walked over to them, “Yeah?”

“A few murders not far from here, that Ellen caught wind of.”

Angel eyed Dean as a scowl formed on his face, “It's a hunt.”

“Yeah.” He looked between them, “ _So_?”

“So…” Angel motioned, “It's time the Winchesters got back to business, right? I mean, _I'm_ not just gonna sit around and _wait_ , little brother.” She grabbed her coat and headed out to the car, “Lets go get our hands dirty.”

Back in the trans-am, Angel drove with Dean in the back and Sam back in the passenger seat as he researched on his laptop.

“You've gotta be kidding me.” Dean scoffed, “ _A killer clown_?”

“Yeah. He left the daughter unharmed and killed the parents. _Ripped them to pieces_ , actually.”

“Gross.” Angel shook her head, “And they had just got back from a carnival?”

“Right, right. The, uh, _Cooper Carnivals_.”

Dean leaned forward, “So how do you know we're not dealing with some psycho carnie in a clown suit?”

“Well, the cops have no viable leads, and all the employees were tearing down shop. _Alibis all around_ . _Plus,_ this girl said she saw a clown vanish into thin air. Cops are saying trauma, of course.”

“ _Of course_ .” Angel repeated, “Leave it to _us_ to deal with _Phantom Clown_.”

“Well, I know what _you're_ thinking, Sam.” Dean snickered, “ _Why did it have to be clowns_?”

Sam scoffed, “Oh, _give me a break_.”

Angel smirked at him, entertained, “You still afraid of _clowns,_ Sammy?”

“Course he is!” Dean laughed, “I mean, _come on_ , you still bust out crying whenever you see _Ronald McDonald_ on the television.”

“Well, at least I'm not afraid of _flying_ ! Or _bugs and boxes_!”

“ _Excuse you_ , killer bees and claustrofobia are both _real_ things, asshole!”

Dean bristled as well, “And planes _crash_!”

“And apparently _clowns kill_!”

Dean shook his head, “These types of murders, they ever happen before?”

“Uh, according to the file, _1981, the Bunker Brothers Circus_ , same M.O. It happened three times, three _different_ locales.”

“This case has something weird about it…” Angel mused, “Spirits usually bind to a _specific_ locale, you know, _a house, or a town_ . This one's moving city to city, _carnival to carnival_ …”

“Cursed object, maybe?” Dean offered, “Spirit attaches itself to something and the, uh, _carnival_ carries it around with them?”

“Great.” Sam scoffed, “ _Paranormal scavenger hunt_.”

“You two are the ones who wanted to do this case in the first place.” Dean turned to Sam, “By the way, _why_ is that? I expect it from Angel but _you_ were awfully quick to jump on this job.”

“ _So_?”

“ _So…_ ” Angel motioned, “You don't really care for _hunting,_ Mr. _College man_ and you're pretty hell bent on finding Yellow Eyes so…”

“I don't know, I just think… _this job_ , it's what _Dad_ would have wanted us to do.”

Dean watched him closely, “What _Dad_ would have wanted?”

“Yeah. _So_?”

  
Dean's jaw tensed when Angel gave him a warning eye, “ _Nothin’_.”

**SECTION TWO**

Angel pulled the Transam up outside the carnival where they saw what appeared to be detectives talking to some carnies.

“Check it out. Five-oh.” 

Angel motioned to Dean before they started walking over, Sam staying behind. He stood with his hands in his pockets as a three-foot-tall woman in a clown outfit passed him. He stared at her nervously, and she stared back for a second before moving on. After talking to the cops, Dean approached Sam with Angel.

He smirked, “Did you get her number?”

Angel laughed as Sam scowled, getting to business and ignoring them, “More murders?”

“Two more last night. _Apparently_ they were ripped to shreds. _And_ they had a little boy with them.”

Angel nodded, “ _Who name dropped a clown_.”

Dean continued, “A clown, who apparently, _vanished into thin air_.”

“You know…” Sam shook his head, “Looking for a cursed object is like trying to find a _needle_ in a stack of _needles_ . They could be _anything_.”

Dean shrugged, “Well, it's bound to give off EMF, so we'll just have to scan everything.”

“Great.” Angel hung her head with a groan, “That's great. That shouldnt take _forever_.”

Sam added, “Not to mention _inconspicuous…_ ”

Dean saw a ‘ _Help Wanted, See Mr. Cooper_ ’ sign and grinned, “I guess we'll just have to blend in.” 

Following Dean, he led them into a tent where a man wearing a pair of dark sunglasses was throwing knives at a target. They all landed near but not quite on the bullseye.

“Excuse me…” Dean caught his attention, “We're looking for a _Mr. Cooper_ , have you seen him around?”

“What is that? Some kind of _joke_?” 

Dean gaped when he pulled off his sunglasses to reveal he's blind, “Oh, God, I'm- I'm sorry.”

“You think I wouldn't give my _eyeteeth_ to _see_ Mr. Cooper?” He yelled, “Or a _sunset_ , or _anything at all_?”

Dean turned quietly to his siblings who were watching on trying to hold in their laughter, “ _Wanna give me a little help here_?”

“Not really.”

“ _Nope_.”

“Hey, Barry…” A short man in a red cape walked in, “Is there a _problem_?”

Dean turned to him as the blind man yelled, “ _Yeah_ , this guy _hates_ blind people!”

“No, I don't, I-”

The short man glared at Dean, “Hey buddy, _what's your problem_?”

“ _Nothing_ , it's just a little misunderstanding.”

“ _Little_ ?!” He readied the baton in his hands, “You _son of a bitch_!”

“No, no, no!” Dean panicked backing up a little bit, “I'm just- Could somebody tell me where Mr. Cooper is?” Sam and Angel both looked at each other and laughed as he was frazzled, “ _Please_?”

**_In Mr. Cooper's Office…_ **

“You three picked a _hell_ of a time to join up.” Mr. Cooper said as he motioned to the three seats in front of his desk, “Take a seat.”

The three looked at the available chairs; _two are normal, the other was pink, with a giant clown face on it_. Dean and Angel quickly beat Sam to the normal chairs causing him to scowl at them. He fidgeted before stiffly sitting in the clown chair. 

Mr. Cooper took a seat at his desk, “We've got all kinds of local trouble.”

Angel turned from her brothers to Mr. Cooper, “Local trouble?”

“Oh, a couple of folks got themselves murdered. Cops always seem to start _here_ first.” He waved her off, “ _So_ , any of you three ever worked the circuit before?”

“Yes sir.” Sam answered tightly, “Last year through Texas and Arkansas.”

“Yeah.”

“Yup.”

“Doing what?” He pressed, “Ride jockeys?” He looked to Angel and then to the boys, “Butcher? ANS men?”

“Yeah…” Sam cleared his throat, “It's, uh, a little bit of everything, I guess.”

Mr. Cooper's face went blank as he shook his head, “You three have never worked a show in your lives before, have you?”

“ _Nope_.” Dean slapped his legs, “But we really need the work. Oh, and uh, Sam here's got a thing for the bearded lady. “

“You see that picture?” Mr. Cooper motioned to an old picture hanging on the wall, “That's my daddy.”

Sam studied it before turning back to him, “You look just like him.”

“He was in the business. _Ran a freakshow_ . Till they _outlawed_ them, most places. _Apparently_ displaying the deformed isn't dignified. _So_ most of the performers went from honest work to rotting in hospitals and asylums. _That's_ progress. _I guess_ . You see, _this_ place… It's a refuge for outcasts. _Always has been_ . For folks that don't fit in nowhere else. But _you_ three? _You should go to school, find that special someone and have two point five kids.”_ He instructed with a nod, “Live _regular_.”

Angel leaned in with her signature smirk to lay on her charm but Sam beat her to it.

“Sir?” His eyes were serious, “We don't want to go to school, and we don't want regular. _We want this_.”

After getting the jobs, the three walked out of Mr. Cooper's office.

Dean looked over to his little brother curiously, “ _Huh_.”

“What?”

“That whole, uh, _I don't want to go back to school thing_ . Were you just saying that to Cooper or were you, you know, _saying_ it?”

“Actually I was gonna ask the same question. You seemed pretty serious about it.” Angel added, then looked to him when he quieted, “ _Sam_?”

“I don't know…”

“You _don't know_ ?” Dean scoffed, “I thought that once the demon was dead and the fat lady sings that _you_ were gonna take off, _head back to Wussy State._ ”

“I'm having second thoughts…” 

Angel's brows went up in happy surprise, “ _Really_?”

“Yeah. I think…” He nodded slowly as he stopped them from walking, “Dad would have wanted me to stick with the job.”

“Since when do you give a damn what _Dad_ wanted?” Dean tensed angrily, “You spent half your life doing exactly what he _didn't_ want, Sam.”

“Since he _died_ , okay?” Sam studied him closely, “Do you have a _problem_ with that?”

“Nah…” Dean shook his head as he masked his emotions and walked away, “ _I don't have a problem at all_.” 

“I think it's great if you wanna stick around, Sammy.” Angel offered him a small smile, “It's been great having you around… Not that college wasn't a good idea but the Winchesters, we gotta stick together…” She frowned, “Especially now.”

**_Later on…_ **

Sam wore a red Cooper Carnival jacket as he picked up trash and scanned around with his EMF reader. Dean wore the same uniform as he picked up trash and put it into a dumpster on the other side. Angel also wore the uniform as she was busy working a ride when Sam called them both, patching them in on a conference call.

_Dean answered first, “Hello?”_

_“Hey guys you both there? Angel?”_

Angel answered as she motioned some people onto the ride, “I’m here.”

_“What's the matter, Sammy?” Humor sounded in Dean's voice, “You sound like you just saw a clown.”_

_“Very funny. Skeleton, actually.”_

Angel frowned as she dropped her voice, “ _Skeleton_ like a _human_ skeleton?”

_“In the funhouse. Listen, I was thinking. What if the spirit isn't attached to a cursed object- what if it's attached to its own remains?”_

_Dean asked, “Did the bones give off EMF?”_

_“Well, no, but-”_

_“We should check it out anyway. I'm heading to you.” Dean said quickly, “Angel meet us there.”_

**_With Dean…_ **

As Dean hung up the phone, the Blind Man grabbed his arm, “What are you doing here, kid?”

“I'm- I was just sweeping.”

“ _Bull_ .” Dean looked at him in surprise, “And what were you talking about? _Skeletons_ ? What's _EMF_?”

“ _Dude_.” Dean's eyes widened as he became impressed, “Your blind man hearing is out of control.”

“We're a tight-knit group. _We don't like outsiders_ . We take care of our _own_ problems.”

“ _We_ got a problem?”

“ _You_ tell _me_ \- _you're the one talking about human bones_.”

Dean sighed and looked around before leaning in towards him, “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“ _What_?”

“My brother, sister and me…” He cleared his throat before smiling, “We're writing a book about them.”

**_Near the funhouse…_ **

After they hung up, Angel made it to Sam first with Dean making it to them far later.

As he approached Sam scoffed, “What took you so long?”

Dean rolled his eyes, “ _Long_ story.” 

A little girl screamed from a few feet ahead of them, “Mommy, look at the clown!”

The Winchesters and the parents all looked over to see that the little girl was pointing at nothing.

“What clown?” The mom asked before she gently pushed her forward, “Come on, sweetie, come on.”

**_At the family's home…_ **

As they staked out the family's home Dean told them about his conversation with the blind man earlier.

“Dean…” Sam shook his head, “I cannot _believe_ you told Papazian about the homicidal phantom clown.”

“I told him an _urban legend_ about a homicidal phantom clown.” Dean corrected as he pulled out his gun and cocked it, “I never said it was _real_.” 

“Jesus, _Deadshot_ .” Angel quickly pusjed the gun down, “Keep that _down_. What's the matter with you?”

Dean glared but continued, “Oh, and _get this_ . I mentioned the Bunker Brother's Circus in '81 and their, uh, _evil clown apocalypse_? Guess what.”

“ _What_?”

“Hm?”

“Before Mr. Cooper owned Cooper Carnival, he _worked_ for Bunker Brothers. _He was their lot manager_.”

Sam nodded, “So you think whatever the spirit's attached to, Cooper just brought it with him?”

“Something like that.” Dean shook his head with a sigh, “ _I can't believe we keep talking about killer clowns._ ”

**_Later on…_ **

Dean was dozing in his seat as a light went on in the dining room. Sam slapped him awake as Angel watched intently. Inside, the little girl went to the front door, where the phantom clown was waiting.

She looked up with a smile, “Wanna come in and play?” 

The phantom took her hand and was led inside.

**SECTION THREE**

As the little girl led the clown down the hallway, Angel, Dean and Sam were already hiding in wait, weapons ready.

“Wanna see Mommy and Daddy? They're upstairs.”

Angel leapt out and grabbed the girl away from the clown. She instantly started screaming and thrashing around in Angels arms. As she shielded the girl, Dean and Sam shot the clown in the chest. It fell on its back but got back up as the boys cocked their guns again.

“Sam watch out!” 

Dean yelled as the clown barreled towards his brother but instead, leapt out the window, turning invisible as it ran away. The parents came rushing into the room.

“What's going on here?” The father glared at the three intruders, “Get away from my-”

The mother screamed, “Oh my god, what are you doing to my daughter?!”

“Who the hell are you?” Angel instantly let the girl go and put her hands up as she backed away, “Get out! _Get out of my house_!”

“Time to go. _Time to go_ .” Angel instructed hurriedly as she turned, “Now, _run, run, run_.”

“Mommy, Daddy! They shot my clown!”

“Well, one thing's for sure.” Dean said after they changed the plates on the Transam and made their way back on the road, “We're _not_ dealing with a spirit. I mean, that rock salt hit something _solid_.”

Angel shook her head, “Couldn't be a person could it?”

Sam offered, “Or maybe a creature that can make itself invisible?”

“Yeah, _and dresses up like a clown for kicks_?” Dean scoffed, “Did it say anything in Dad's journal?”

Sam cleared his throat as he pulled out his cell, “Nope.” 

“Who are you calling?” Angel looked at him from the rearview, “ _Clown busters_?”

“Maybe Ellen or that guy Ash'll know something.” Sam leaned forward, “Hey, you think, uh, you think Dad and Ellen ever had a _thing_?”

Dean shook his head immediately, “No way.”

“ _Nah_.”

“Then why didn't he tell us about her?”

“I don't know, maybe they had some sort of falling out.”

Angel motioned her head, “Now that i can believe.” 

“Yeah…” Sam nodded, “You ever notice Dad had a falling out with just about _everybody_?” 

Angel kept her eyes on the road without answering. Dean nodded casually and a silence fell between them in the car.

Sam angered and quickly hung up his phone, “Well, don't get all _maudlin_ on me, guys.”

“What does _that_ mean?”

“I mean this whole _strong silent thing_ you've got going is _crap_ , Dean. And pretending everything's okay isn't healthy either, Angel.”

Dean groaned, “Oh, _god_.” 

“Sam-”

“ _I'm over it_ . This isn't just _anyone_ we're talking about. _This is Dad_. I know how you two felt about the man.”

“You know what, _back off_ , all right?” Dean yelled, “Just because we’re not _caring and sharing_ like you want us to-”

“ _No, no, no_ , that's not what this is about, Dean. I don't care _how_ you guys deal with this, but you _have_ to deal with it. Guys, _I'm your brother,_ alright? I just want to make sure you guys are okay.”

“For Christ sake we’re fine, Sam!” Angel bellowed then took a minute to get herself together, “ _We’re fine_ , okay? Just… stop asking, _please_.”

“I _swear_ , the next person who asks me if I'm okay, _I'm gonna start throwing punches_ .” Dean scoffed, “These are _your_ issues, quit dumping them on _us_!”

“What are you talking about?”

“He's talking about the fact that you've got this sudden interest and obedience in Dad.” Angel shook her head, “Which is great, _really_ , but it would've been nice if you did it while he was alive.”

“Sam, you spent your entire life slugging it out with that man. I mean, _hell_ , you picked a fight with him the last time you ever saw him. And now that he's dead, _now you want to make it right_ ? Well, I'm sorry Sam, but you _can't_. It's too little, too late.”

Sam scoffed, hurt from their words, “Why are you saying this to me?”

“Because you need to be honest with yourself about this. _I'm_ dealing with Dad's death, _Angel_ is dealing with Dad’s death, are _you_?”

Sam swallowed as he leaned back in the car upset, trying to reign in his emotions.

When Angel pulled up to the hotel Sam rushed out of the car, “I'm going to call Ellen.”

Angel frowned, guilt filling her as she watched him walk off, “Sam…”

**_Later on…_ **

Sam walked through the door after hanging up the phone, “Rakshasa.”

Angel raised a brow, “What?” 

“That's what we’re dealing with, _Ellen's best guess_ . It's a race of ancient Hindu creatures. They appear in human form, they feed on human flesh, they can make themselves invisible, _and_ they cannot enter a home without _first_ being invited.”

Dean nodded, “So they dress up like clowns, and the children invite 'em in.” 

“Yeah.”

“Well…” Angels brows furrowed, “Why don't they just munch the kids then?”

“No idea. Not enough meat on the bones, maybe?”

Dean motioned, “What else'd you find out?”

“Well, _apparently_ , Rakshasas live in squalor. _They sleep on a bed of dead insects_.”

Disgust filled Angel, “Oh, _ew_.”

“Yeah, _and_ they have to feed a few times every twenty or thirty years. Slow metabolism, I guess.”

“Well, that makes sense. I mean, _the Carnival today, the Bunker Brothers in '81…_ ”

“ _Right_ . Probably _more_ before that.”

“Boys…” Angel pursed her lips, “ _Who_ do we know that worked _both_ shows?”

Sam thought for a second, “Cooper?”

Dean nodded as realization filled him as well, “Cooper.” 

“ _Oh yeah_.” Angel nodded, “That picture he had of his father looked just like him.” 

“You think maybe it was him?”

“Maybe.” Angel shrugged, “Who knows how _old_ he is?”

Dean looked to Sam, “Did Ellen say how to kill him?”

“Legend goes, _a dagger made of pure brass_.”

Dean grinned, “I think I know where to get one of those.”

“Well, before we go stabbing things into Cooper, we're going to want to make damn sure it's him.”

“Oh, you're such a stickler for details, Sammy.” They all smiled at that before Dean snapped his fingers, “Let's get down to the carnival. You two go check if Cooper's got bed bugs.”

Angel rolled her eyes, “Of course you'd give _me_ the bug job.”

**_At the carnival…_ **

Sam quickly picked the lock on Cooper's trailer as Angel kept watch. Once inside, they spread out. Angel started snooping as Sam pulled out a pocket knife and started slicing open the mattress to look for the bugs. When a shotgun cocked behind them, they turned to see Cooper standing and pointing the gun between them.

“What do you two think you're doing?”

“Uh, um…” Angel looked at Sam before she gave Cooper a weary smile, “We we can explain…”

**_With Dean…_ **

“Well, I've got all kinds of knives. I don't know if I've got a _brass_ one, though.” The blind man led Dean into his trailer and tapped a trunk with his cane, “Check the trunk.”

Dean opened the trunk and found a red clown wig. Realization hit him at the sight and he stood slowly.

“ _You_?”

The Blind Man dropped his cane, pulled off his glasses and showed that his eyes were normal.

“ _Me_.” 

His eyes got cloudy as his face began to melt. With a wave, he disappeared; cheshire-cat style with his eyes glowing last.

**SECTION FOUR**

Dean struggled with the door in the trailer, trying to get out, when a knife flew past his head to bury in the door. He jumped as another landed with a thunk a little higher. 

Dean yelled, “Alright!” 

Once he managed to get the door open, he booked it out of there, tumbling. 

Outside, Sam and Angel ran to him, “Hey!”

“There you are!.”

Dean huffed, “Yeah.”

“ _So_ .” Sam shook his head with a frown, “Cooper thinks we’re a couple of _weirdo Peeping Tom freaks_ but uh it's not him.”

“Learned that after a _shotgun_ was brought to our attention.”

“Yeah, so i gathered.” Dean motioned behind him, “It's the blind guy. He's here _somewhere_.”

“Well, did you get the-”

“The brass blades? No.” Dean rolled his eyes at Angel, “ _No_ , it's just been one of those days.”

“I got an idea.” Sam said, “Come on.” 

As they carefully entered the funhouse, a door slammed between them separating Sam from Angel and Dean. 

Dean and Angel panicked as they struggled to open it, “Sam!” 

“Guys!” Sam yelled to them, “Find the maze, okay?” 

Walking deeper in, he found a pipe organ, which was giving off steam. He grabbed for one of the pipes, but it was way too hot.

“Gah!” 

Flinching from the heat, he took something from his pocket and started pulling off a pipe. 

“We’re here.” Dean and Angel ran around the corner, “We made it.”

Sam looked at them, “Where is it?”

“I dont know.” Dean shook his head, “I mean, shouldn't we see its clothes walking around?”

A knife flew past Angel, pinning her sleeve to the wall. 

Another one pinned her wrist, “Guys!”

“Angel!” 

Dean ran to help her after another one pinned her but ended up getting pinned as well.

“Dean!”

“Sam watch out!”

As Sam pulled the pipe all the way off, he stalked forward slowly. When a knife flew past his head, he quickly dodged it.

“Where is he?”

“I dont know!”

“We can't see it, Sam!”

Dean reached up and pulled a lever causing more steam to pour from the pipe organ. It gave a vague shape to the invisible attacker, which Dean saw.

“Sam, behind you!” He yelled, “ _Behind you_!”

Sam stabbed the pipe behind him without looking. He turned and saw it buried in the still-invisible creature, blood pouring from the wound. When Dean managed to free himself, he walked over to Sam and they looked to where it fell. There was only empty clothes and a bloody pipe left.

Dean shook his head, “I hate fun houses.”

  
Angel cleared her throat, annoyed, “ _Little help here fellas_.”

**SECTION FIVE**

**_At the Roadhouse Saloon…_ **

The three Winchesters sat at the bar as Ellen layed down a couple of beers, “You three did a hell of a job. Your dad'd be proud.”

Sam smiled at that, “Thanks.”

Jo sat down on the other side of Dean and looked to Angel and Sam pointedly as a small smile played on her lips. Dean rose a brow between them as Sam smiled back awkwardly. When she locked eyes with Angel, the eldest Winchester caught on quickly.

“Uh, Sammy…” Angel bumped his shoulder, “Let's go sit over here.”

A few moments later the back door opened and Ash entered, carrying the folder and a bizarre looking laptop, “Where you guys been? _Been waitin' for ya_.”

Angel smirked, “We were workin’ a job, Ash, remember?” When he just started at her she stared back, “On clowns?”

“ _Clowns_? What the fu-”

Dean interrupted as he walked over, “You got something for us, Ash?” 

Ash set the laptop down on a table. It looked homemade, with exposed wiring.

“The Demons nowhere around. At least, _nowhere I can find_ . But if this fugly bastard raises his head, _I'll know_ . I mean, I'm on it like _Divine on dog dookie_.”

“Uh…” Angel studied him, confused, “ _What_?”

“ _I mean_ , any of those signs or omens appear, _anywhere in the world_ , my rig'll go off. _Like a fire alarm._ ” 

Dean reached for the laptop, “Do you mind…” Ash gave him an incredulous look causing Dean to pull his hand back from the keyboard, “ _Yeah_.”

Ash continued staring at him, “What's up, man?”

“Ash…” Sam earned his attention, “Where did you learn to do all this?”

“ _M.I.T._ Before I got bounced for... _fighting_.” 

“ _M.I.T._?”

Angel surveyed him, “ _You_ got into _fights_?”

“Okay.” Dean lightly hit the table, “Give us a call as soon as you know something?”

“ _Si, si, compadre_.” He winked at Angel, “Feel free to call me, baby.”

Angel chuckled, “Okay, i'll keep that in mind.”

Dean took another sip of his beer before setting it down and leading them toward the door. 

“Hey, listen…” Ellen called to them, “If you three need a place to stay I've got a couple beds out back.”

“Thanks, but no.” Dean shook his head, “There's something I gotta finish.”

**_Bobby’s Junkyard…_ **

Dean was working on Impala again, as Angel washed the Trans Am close by.

Sam paced between them, “You two were right.” 

Angel looked over as did Dean, “About what?”

“About me and Dad. I'm sorry that the last time I was with him I tried to pick a fight. I'm sorry that I spent most of my life angry at him. I mean, for all I know he _died_ thinking that I _hate_ him. So you guys are right… What I'm doing right now, _it's too little. It's too late_ .” His lip trembles, “ _I miss him_ . And I feel _guilty_ as hell. And I'm _not_ alright. _Not at all_ . But neither are you two. _That_ much I know.” 

Taking a silent moment, he looked down before turning and leaving.

“Sam…” 

Angel called before looking to Dean who was still and stone faced. Turning, she took off after her youngest brother. Dean stayed still for a moment before picking up a crowbar and smashing the window of a nearby car. Then he started slamming it into the trunk of the Impala, over and over again until a hole formed in the metal. He dropped the crowbar as he breathed heavily from the exertion and looked after where his siblings walked away, lip trembling with emotion.


	3. Bloodlust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel, Sam and Dean meet Gordon, a fellow demon hunter who has been systematically killing vampires in a small town, and Dean immediately bonds with the older man. However, after Sam meets with the lead vampire and discovers they are actually peaceful creatures who survive on cattle blood, he decides not all supernatural beings are evil and forces Angel and Dean to choose whether they will side with Sam or Gordon.

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

  
**WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

_Back in Black_ blasted through the radio as Dean raced the impala down a two lane road. He was in a better mood than he usually was, having finished Baby.

“ _Whoo_!” He yelled with a grin, “Listen to her purr! Have you ever heard anything so sweet?”

“Mm.” Angel leaned forward, “My _Trans Am_?”

“ _Shut it._ ”

Sam laughed, “ _You're_ in a good mood.”

“Why shouldn't I be?”

He shrugged, “No reason.”

Dean grinned, “Got my car, got a case, things are looking _up_.”

“Wow. Give you a couple of severed heads and a pile of dead cows and you're _Mister Sunshine_.”

“I’m gonna keep that in the ‘ _need to know_ ’ pile, D. For when you're in a mood.” Angel snapped her fingers, “ _Next to the pie_.”

Dean laughed, “How far to Red Lodge?”

“Uh…” Sam looked over the map, “About another three hundred miles.” 

Dean smiled before flooring it, “ _Good_.” 

**_At the Sheriff's Office…_ **

The Red Lodge sheriff talked with Angel, Sam and Dean, who were posing as reporters, “The murder investigation is ongoing, and that's all I can share with the press at this time.”

“Sure, sure, we understand that, but _just for the record_ … You found the first, uh, _head_ last week, correct?” Sam pressed and he nodded, “Okay, and the other, a uh, _Christina Flanigan_ -”

“That was two days ago. Is there-” A young woman knocked on the door and pointed at her watch, “Oh. Sorry, time's up. We're done here.”

Angel turned on her charm, “Really, just _one_ more question.”

The Sheriff sighed but motioned for her to continue so Dean piped up, “What about the cattle?”

“Excuse me?”

“You know… The cows found _dead, split open, drained_ … over a dozen cases.”

“What about them?”

Sam eyed him, “You don't think there's a connection?”

“Connection… _with…_?”

““First cattle mutilations, now two murders?” Angel motioned, “Kinda sounds like… _satanic cult ritual stuff_ if you ask me.”

The sheriff laughed, “You-” He frowned at their serious expressions, “You're _not_ kidding.”

Dean along with Angel and Sam were all stone faced, “No.”

“Those cows aren't being _mutilated_. You wanna know how I know?”

“How?”

“ _Because there's no such thing as cattle mutilation_ . Cow drops, leave it in the sun, within forty eight hours the bloat'll split it open so clean it's just about _surgical_ . The bodily fluids fall down into the ground and get soaked up because _that's what gravity does_ . But, _hey_ , it could be _Satan_.” He narrowed his eyes at them, “What newspaper did you say you three worked for?”

“World Weekly News…”

“Weekly World News.”

“Weekly World News.”

Dean looked at them as they gave him an eye, “World-“

Angel quickly corrected before laughing softly, “ _Weekly_ World…” 

“ _Weekly…_ ” Dean chuckled uncomfortably, “I'm new.”

The sheriff glared, “Get out of my office.”

**_At the hospital…_ **

Angel, Dean and Sam entered the morgue, still wearing their professional attire from the Sheriff's office but now also wore white lab coats. They peaked around the corner to see an intern sitting at a desk looking rather bored.

“Leave him to me.” Angel smirked, “On my _Q_ you two go in.”

At their nods she walked out and smiled when she caught the young man's attention. He quickly put down whatever he was doing and turned to her. 

“Hi there.” Angel smiled brilliantly at him, “ _Angel_.”

“Uh, hi.” She reached for his hand to which he quickly took, “I’m Jeff. Nice to meet you.”

“Pleasures all mine. _Really_ .” She raked her eyes over him, subtly motioning to her brothers behind her who quickly snuck back there, “ _Wow,_ you have the warmest eyes I’ve ever seen. They’re beautiful.”

**_Back with Sam and Dean…_ **

Dean mused as they snuck in, “Should we be worried that she’s damn good at that?” 

“Nah. It worked didn’t it?”

“Right.” He nodded getting back to work, “Okay. Hey, those Satanists in Florida… They marked their victims, didn't they?”

“Yeah, reversed pentacle on the forehead.”

“Yeah, so much messed up crap happens in Florida.” 

Dean handed Sam a pair of latex gloves and put on a pair of his own. Sam opened a compartment and wheeled out a corpse.

Dean motioned to the box between its legs as he looked pointedly to his brother, “Alright, open it.” 

Sam glared, “ _You_ open it.”

“ _Wuss_ .” Dean carried the box over to another table and flipped off the lid, grimacing, “Well, _no pentagram_.” 

“Wow…” Sam approached with a cringe as well, “Poor girl.”

“Maybe we should, uh, look in her mouth and see if those wackos stuffed anything down her throat. You know, kinda like the moth in _Silence of the Lambs_.”

“Yeah, _here_ .” Sam motioned to the body with a glare, “ _Go ahead_.”

“No, _you_ go ahead.”

“ _What_?”

Dean laughed, “ _Put the lotion in the basket_.”

“Right, yeah, _I'm_ the wuss, huh? _Whatever_.” Sam steeled himself before he started poking his fingers into the mouth, “Dean, get me a bucket?”

“You find something?”

“No, _I'm going to puke_.”

“Wait…” Dean stopped him, “Lift the lip up again?”

“What? You _want_ me to throw up, is that it?”

“ _No, no, no_ , I think I saw something.” Sam pulled back the lip and Deans brow furrowed, “What is that, a _hole_?” 

Dean pressed on the gum and a narrow, sharp tooth descended.

“Are you idiots done yet?” Angel whispered coming in quickly, “I sent him for coffee but I really can’t talk to _Dr. Boring_ anymore so…” She bulked at the thing sticking out of their victims mouth, “Is- is that a _fang_?”

“Yeah.” Dean scoffed, “ _Retractable set of vampire fangs_. You gotta be kidding me.”

“Well, _this_ changes things.”

“Ya think?”

**_At the local bar…_ **

When the three approached the bar Dean tapped the table, “How's it going?”

“ _Living the dream_. What can I get for you guys?”

“Three beers, please.”

“So…” Sam got to business, “We're looking for some people.”

“ _Sure_. Hard to be lonely.”

Angel gave him a sarcastic smirk, “ _Cute_ but _no_.”

Sam pulled out a $50 bill, fingering it, before dropping it on the bar. The bartender looked at it, then took it motioning for them to continue.

“Right. So these people… They would have moved here about six months ago, probably pretty rowdy, like to drink…”

“Yeah, real night owls, you know? _Sleep all day, party all night_.”

The bartender leaned in, “Barker farm got leased out a couple months ago. _Real winners_ . They've been in here a lot- _drinkers. Noisy_. I've had to 86 them once or twice.”

Dean nodded, “Thanks.”

They left their half-finished beers on the table and left. A man who was watching them from the window seat is now gone, a smoldering cigarette left behind. As the Winchester’s left, the man watched them before stalking after. They went down an alley and he followed. He lost sight of them, and turned when Dean and Sam were suddenly there. They pinned him to the wall just before Angel came into sight and put a knife to his throat.

Angel gave him a warning look, “ _Smile pretty for me_.” 

“ _What_?”

“You heard her.” Dean growled, “Show us those pearly whites.”

  
  


“Oh, for the love of- you want to stick that thing someplace _else_ sweetheart? _I'm not a vampire_ .” Sam frowned, “Yeah, that's right. _I heard you guys in there_.”

Sam studied him, “What do you know about vampires?” 

“ _How to kill them_ .” Gordon’s eyes went back to Angel, “Now seriously, baby. That knife's making me _itch_.”

“I’m _not_ your baby.” She raised a brow but didn't move from her position, “So I’d watch the words if I were you, _friend_.”

He cocked his head at her before he started to pull away and Sam pinned him down harder, “ _Hey_!”

“Whoa. _Easy there, Chachi_ .” The man slowly brought his right hand to his lip, and pulled it back, revealing normal gums, “See? _Fangless_ . Happy?” The boys let him up as Angel took the knife off him, “Now, _who the hell are you three_?”

At the man's car, he pulled out his arsenal which included a large hook responsible for the deaths of the victims that caught their attention.

“ _The Winchester’s_ . I can't believe it. You know, I met your old man once? Hell of a guy, _great_ hunter. I heard he passed. I'm sorry. It's big shoes, but from what I hear you three fill 'em. _Great trackers, good in a tight spot_ -”

Angel interrupted, “You seem to know a lot about our family.” 

“Word travels fast.” He shrugged, “You know how hunters talk.”

“No.” Dean shook his head, “We don't, actually.”

“I guess there's a lot your dad never told you, huh?”

“So, um, so those two vampires…” Sam asked, “They were _yours_ , huh?”

“ _Yep_. Been here two weeks.”

Deans asked, “Did you check out that Barker farm?”

“ _It's a bust_ . Just a bunch of hippie freaks. Though they _could_ kill you with that patchouli smell alone.”

“Well…” Angel cocked her head, “Where’s the nest?”

“I got this one covered. Look, don't get me wrong, it's a real pleasure meetin' you three.” He raked his eyes over Angel who glared in return, “ _Especially_ you, babe. _But_ I've been on this thing for over a year. I killed a fang back in Austin, tracked the nest all the way up here. _I'll_ finish it.”

“We could help.” Angel let the creepiness that followed his gaze fade as she stepped up, “You said it yourself, we’re _more_ than qualified hunters.”

“Thanks, but uh, I'm kind of a _go-it-alone_ type of guy.”

“Come on, man.” Dean frowned, “I’ve been _itching_ for a hunt.” 

“Sorry. But hey, I hear there's a Chupacabra two states over. You go ahead and knock yourselves out.” He smiled before getting in his car, “It was real good meeting you, though. I'll buy you a drink on the flip side.”

**_At the Mill…_ **

A vampire man sat in the quiet mill alone when he heard a noise and went to investigate. He climbed up to the roof and pulled out a crowbar when a crow flew at his head. It startled him but he relaxed, then turned around to find Gordon attacking him with a machete. The man extended his fangs and the two of them began a struggle near an electric saw. The vampire turned it on, pinned Gordon down below it and tried decapitating him until Sam and Angel pulled him to safety. Dean attacked the vampire, pinning him under the electric saw before he lowered it and decapitated him, spraying Dean with blood.

“So, uh…” Gordon looked over at Dean, huffing, “I guess I gotta buy you that drink.”

**SECTION TWO**

Angel, Gordon, Dean and Sam sat around a table in the bar as a waitress brought them another round.

Dean reached for his wallet but Gordon dismissed him, “No, no, I got it.”

“Come on.”

“I insist.” Gordon looked to the waitress, “Thank you, sweetie.” He raised his shot glass to them, “ _Another one bites the dust_.”

“That's right.”

Dean, Angel and Gordon drank to the toast but Sam was sitting back, arms folded.

“Dean.” Gordon laughed, “You gave that big-ass fang one _hell_ of a haircut, my friend.”

“Thank you.”

“That was beautiful, a _bsolutely_ beautiful.”

Dean grinned before taking a drink of his beer, “Yep.”

Angel eyed the two before turning to her quiet brother, “You alright, Sammy?”

He shrugged as he looked over to her, “Yeah, fine.”

“Well…” Gordon smirked, “Lighten up a little, _Sammy_.”

Sam glared, “ _They're_ the only ones who get to call me that.”

“Okay.” Gordon put his hands up as Angel and Dean shared a look with each other, “No offense meant. Just celebrating a little- _Job well done_.”

“ _Right_ .” Sam glared, “Well, _decapitations_ aren't my idea of a _good time_ , I guess.”

“Oh, _come on_ , man. It's not like it was _human_.” Gordon chuckled, “You've gotta have a little more fun with your job.”

“ _See_ ?” Dean grinned, “ _That's_ what I've been trying to tell him.” Dean motioned to Gordon as he shared a look with Sam, “You could learn a thing or two from this guy.”

Angel shook her head at that as Sam shifted uncomfortably, “Yeah, _I bet I could_. Look, I'm not gonna bring you guys down.” He looked between them as he got up, “I'm just gonna go back to the motel.”

Angel frowned, “You don't have to go, Sam.”

“It's fine.” 

“Sammy?” Dean called as he tossed him the keys to the impala, “Remind me to beat that buzzkill out of you later, alright?” 

Sam frowned as he caught them, sending a final scowl to Gordon before walking off.

Gordone turned to them, “Something I said?”

“Nah, he just gets that way sometimes.” Dean dismissed earning another glare from Angel, “Tell you what, _match you quarters for the next round_.”

“I think i’ll head to bed too.” Angel got up next sending both men a friendly smile, “Gotta catch up on my beauty rest, boys.”

Dean nodded, “Night sis.”

Gordon got up with her, earning a curious eye from both Winchesters, “Let me walk you to your door.” He caught Deans glare but put his hands up, “No funny business. Just tryna be a gentleman.”

“A hunter _and_ a gentleman?” Angel raised a brow, “How'd we get so lucky?” Smiling, she motioned, “Come on.”

On the way to the room Gordon watched her closely, “So how'd you get started in this mess?” She looked to him curiously, “What? I dont see alot of pretty hunter women where I go.”

“ _Right_.” She sighed as she crossed her arms, “Uh, well… Our mom was murdered when we were kids and ever since then our dad was kind of consumed with finding what did it. He started taking me on hunts at twelve or thirteen, younger than the boys…” She shrugged, “Thought if i saw and hunted things first hand i'd be better equipped to keep my brothers safe.”

Gordon smirked, “Doesn't look like ole’ Dean needs protection.”

“Guess not.” She shrugged, “Must be an older sister thing.” Gordon nodded before leaning in to try and kiss her, which she leaned back slowly to dodge, “I thought you said no funny business?”

“Right.” He smiled warily, “Can't blame a guy for trying?”

She rolled her eyes as she turned to unlock her room, “Just go back to the bar _before_ I kick your ass.”

Gordon checked her out as she turned and smirked when she slammed the door in his face. Walking away he joined Dean again and they started conversing about the hunting business.

“ _So_ .” Dean continued, “I pick up this crossbow, and I hit that ugly sucker with a silver-tipped arrow right in his heart. Sammy's waiting in the car, and uh, me and my sister take the thing into the woods, burn it to a crisp while we wait for our Dad. I'm sitting there looking into the fire, and I'm thinking to myself… _I'm sixteen years old_ . Most kids my age are worried about _pimples and prom dates_ . I'm seeing things that they'll never even know, _never even dream of_. So right then, I just sort of-”

“ _Embraced_ the life?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah…” Dean nodded again, this time sadly, “How'd you get started?”

“First time I saw a vampire I was barely eighteen. Home alone with my sister. I hear the window break in her room. I grab my dad's gun, run in, try to get it off her. _Too late_ . So I shoot the damn thing. _Which of course is about as useful as snapping it with a rubber band_. It rushes me, picks me up, flings me across the room, knocks me out cold. When I wake up, the vampire's gone, my sister's gone.”

“And then?”

“Then… try explaining _that_ one to your family… So I left home. And then bummed around looking for information: _how you track 'em, how you kill 'em_ . And I found that fang- _it was my first kill_.”

Dean frowned, thinking that would probably kill him and Sammy if it happened to Angel, “Sorry about your sister.”

“Yeah. She was beautiful. I can still see her, you know? The way she was. You're lucky you still have yours.” He shrugged slightly, “But hey, that was a long time ago. I mean, your Dad… It's gotta be rough.”

“Yeah, you know… He was just one of those guys. Took some terrible beatings, just kept coming. So you're always thinking to yourself, _he's indestructible_ . He'll always be around, nothing can kill my dad. Then just like that…” Dean snapped his fingers, “ _He's gone_ . I can't talk about this to Sammy _or_ Ang. You know, I gotta keep my game face on.” He cleared his throat, “But, uh, the truth is I'm not handling it very well. Feel like I have this-”

“ _Hole_ inside you? And it just gets _bigger and bigger and darker and darker_ ?” Gordon interjected, continuing at Deans nod, “ _Good_ . You can _use_ it. _Keeps you hungry_ . Trust me, there's plenty out there needs killing, and this'll help you do it. Dean, _it's not a crime to need your job_. Know why I love this life?”

“Hm?”

“ _It's all black and white_ . There's no _maybe_ . You find the bad thing, kill it. See, most people spend their lives in shades of gray. _Is this right? Is that wrong_?” He shook his head before taking a drink of beer, “Not us.”

“Not sure Sammy would agree with you, but uh…” Dean shrugged, “Angel and I pretty much think like that too.”

“Doesn't seem like your brother's much like us.” Dean stared at him, startled, “I'm not saying he's _wrong_ . Just _different_ . But you and me? Your sister even? We were _born_ to do this. _It's in our blood_.”

**_With Sam…_ **

Sam sat on his bed as he dialed a familiar number and listened to the line ring.

_Ellen answered on the second ring, “Harvelle's Roadhouse.”_

“Hey, Ellen, uh, Sam Winchester.”

_“Sam.” Happiness filled her voice, “It's good to hear from you. You three are okay, aren't you?”_

“Yeah, everything's fine. Got a question.”

_“Yeah, shoot.”_

“You ever run across a guy named Gordon Walker?”

_“Yeah, I know Gordon.”_

“ _And_?”

_“Well, he's a real good hunter. Why are you asking, sweetie?”_

“Well… We ran into him on a job and we're kinda working with him, I guess.”

_Ellen's voice turned grim, “Don't do that, Sam.”_

Sam's brows furrowed, “I- I thought you said he was a good hunter?”

_“Yeah, and Hannibal Lecter's a good psychiatrist. Look, he is dangerous to everyone and everything around him. If he's working on a job you three just let him handle it and you move on.”_

“Ellen-”

_“No, Sam? You- just listen to what I'm telling you, okay? And keep him away from your sister. He has a thing for using women as bait. You understand me?”_

“Right, okay.” 

Sam swallowed the lump in his throat as he hung up , opting to tell Dean and Angel about his conversation when they got back from the bar. Leaving the room, he heads over to the vending machine and buys a soda before heading back to his room. He paused as if hearing something, and cautiously opened the door to look around. Once inside, he leaned against the door in relief. Suddenly a dark figure jumped him from behind. He knocked his first attacker down, then the second before the attacker raised up behind him and slammed a heavy telephone into the back of his head, knocking him out.

**SECTION THREE**

In a dark farmhouse, Sam was bound to a chair and gagged, with a sack over his head. It was pulled off by the bartender they talked to earlier. He showed his fangs and advanced on Sam who struggled before a woman appeared in the doorway stopping him.

“ _Wait_.” She commanded, “Step back, Eli.” Eli pulled back and retracted his fangs as the woman walked over and pulled off Sam’s gag, “My name's Lenore. I'm not going to hurt you. We just need to talk.”

“ _Talk_ ?” Sam scoffed as he sent a glare to the bartender, “Yeah, _okay_ , but I might have a tough time paying attention to much besides Eli's teeth.”

“He won't hurt you either. You have my word.”

“Your word? _Oh yeah, great, thanks_ .” Sam glared, “Listen lady, _no offense_ but you're not the first vampire I've met.”

“We're _not_ like the others. _We don't kill humans, and we don't drink their blood_ . We _haven't_ for a long time.”

“What is this, some kind of joke?”

“ _Notice you're still alive_.”

“Okay, uh…” Sam chuckled as he looked between them like they lost their minds, “ _Correct me if I'm wrong here,_ but shouldn't you be _starving_ to death?”

“We've found _other_ ways. _Cattle blood_.”

“You're telling me you're responsible for all the-”

“It's not _ideal_ , in fact it's _disgusting,_ but it allows us to get by.”

“Okay, uh, _why_?”

“ _Survival_ .” Lenore explained as she crossed her arms, “No _deaths_ , no _missing locals_ , no _reason_ for people like _you_ to come looking for people like _us_ . _We blend in_. Our kind is practically extinct. Turns out we weren't quite as high up the food chain as we imagined.”

Eli angered, “Why are we explaining ourselves to this killer?”

“ _Eli_.”

“We _choke_ on _cow's blood_ so that none of _them_ suffer. _Tonight they murdered Conrad and they celebrated_.”

“Eli, _that's enough_.”

“Yeah, _Eli_ .” Sam repeated snarkily, “ _That's enough_.”

“What's _done_ is _done_ .” Lenore held his glare until she turned back to Sam, “We're leaving this town, _tonight_.”

“Then why did you bring me here?” Sam shook his head with a scowl, “Why are you even _talking_ to me?”

“Believe me, I'd rather _not_ , but I know your kind. Once you have the scent you'll keep tracking us. It doesn't matter where we go, _hunters will find us_.”

Sam studied her, “So you're asking us not to follow you…”

“ _We have a right to live_. We're not hurting anyone.”

“ _Right_ , so you keep _saying_ , but give me _one_ good reason why I should _believe_ you.”

“ _Fine_ .” She leaned down and got in his face, “You know what I'm going to do? _I'm going to let you go_ .” That startled him, “Take him back. _Not a mark on him_.”

Two vampires led Sam back to the truck, his head covered in the sack again before they drove off.

**_Back at the motel…_ **

In Sam and Dean's room Angel was called back in so they could discuss strategy. 

“This is the best pattern I can establish.” Gordon pointed to an area on a map, “It's _sketchy_ at best.”

“Looks like it's all coming from this side of town. Which means the nest would be around here someplace, right?”

“Yep, that's what I'm thinking. _Problem is_ , there's thirty-five, forty farms out there. I've searched about half of them already, but nothing yet. They're covering their tracks real good.”

“Well, I guess we'll just have to search the other half.” 

Angel eyed them, “Uh, where's Sam?”

“Don't know.” Dean shrugged, “He wasn't here when we came back. Probably went for a walk to clear his head.”

Gordon motioned, “Seems like the _take-a-walk_ type.”

“I mean he is but… something feels off…”

The door opened just then to revela Sam, out of breath. He gave Angel and Dean a look before Dean raised a brow at him.

“Where you been?”

“Can I talk to you two _alone_?”

Angel nodded and followed him out as Dean turned to Gordon, “You mind chillin' out for a couple minutes?”

“No problem.”

They exited the motel room and walked into the parking lot before Sam turned to them, “Look, maybe we've got to rethink this hunt.”

“What are you talking about?” Dean shook his head, “Where were you?”

“ _In the nest._ ”

Angel gaped, “You _found_ the nest?”

“ _They_ found _me_.” 

“How'd you get out?” Dean asked impressed, “ _How many'd you kill_?”

“None.”

“ _None_?” Angel gaped again, “What, are you saying these fangs just let you go or something?”

“That's exactly what they did.”

“Alright…” Deans brow furrowed, not really believing that but pushed on, “Well, where is it?”

“I was blindfolded…” He shrugged, “I don't know.”

“You know _something_ , Sam.” Angel motioned, “Think about the route you went through. Anything you remember?”

“We went over that bridge outside of town, but guys, _listen_.” He looked between them pointedly, “Maybe we shouldn't go after them.”

“We _shouldn't_ go after _Vampires_ ?” Angel repeated as she and Dean shared a ‘ _are you crazy_ ’ look, “Sam are you hearing yourself?”

“ _Listen_.” Sam pushed on, “I don't think they're like other vampires. I don't think they're killing people.”

“You're joking.” Dean scoffed, “Then how do they stay alive? Or _undead_ , or _whatever the hell they are_.”

“The cattle mutilations.” He explained, “They said they live off of animal blood.”

“They told you they've been feeding from the cows…” Angel repeated crossing her arms when her brother nodded, “And you _believed_ them?”

“ _Look at me_. They let me go without a scratch.”

“Sam you can't be serious…”

“ _No, man, no way_ .” Dean shook his head, “Who knows _why_ they let you go. I don't really care. _We find 'em, we waste 'em_.” 

Sam scoffed this time, “ _Why_?”

“ _Why_ ?” Angel repeated looking at him incredulously, “Sammy, they're vampires. _They're monsters_.”

“Yeah.” Dean agreed, “If it's _supernatural_ , we _kill_ it, _end of story_ . That's our _job_.”

“No, guys, that is _not_ our job. _Our job is hunting evil_ . And if these things _aren't_ killing people, _they're not evil_!”

“ _Of course_ they're killing people, _that's what they do_!” Dean bristled, “They're all the same, Sam. They're not human, okay? We have to exterminate every last one of them.”

“No, Dean, I don't think so, alright? _Not this time_ .” Sam turned to Angel, “Come on, Angel. _Please_. You gotta see where I'm coming from.”

“I'm trying Sammy… but you aren't making much since. How are we supposed to take a _vampire's word_ that they're not killing? That's not the most reliable source.”

“Look…” Dean shook his head, “Gordon's been on those vamps for a year, man, he _knows_.”

“ _Gordon_?”

“Yes.”

“You're taking _his_ word for it?”

Dean nodded again, “That's right.”

Sam pointed at them with a look, “Ellen says he's bad news.”

That seemed to change Angel's mind slightly, “You called Ellen?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“What, we’re supposed to listen to _her_ ?” Dean scoffed, “We barely know her. _No thanks_ , I'll go with Gordon.”

“Okay, _first of all_ , we’ve known Ellen longer than we’ve known your little friend, Dean. _Second_ , she’s _way_ more of a friend _and_ ally to us than _Gordon_ .” Angel glared before shaking her head, “And _third_ , that guy gives me the creeps.”

“Oh come on! He's a good hunter, he's a good guy and _I_ trust him.”

“Right!” Sam laughed but it was laced with sarcasm, “You don't think I- _the both of us actually_ , can see what this is?”

“What are you talking about?”

“He's a substitute for Dad, isn't he? _A poor one_.”

“Gross.” Angel grimaced, “That kids nothing like Dad.”

Dean glared hard at Sam, “ _Shut up_ , Sam.”

“If that's true Dean, then you need to dead that quick.” Angel met his eyes, “Gordon… there's something dark there. _I can feel it._ Yeah dad had his moments but i never got vibes like that from _him_.”

“You know what?” Dean took a steadying breath, “I'm not even going to talk about this.”

“You know…” Sam stopped him from leaving, “You slap on this big fake smile but I can see right through it. _Because I know how you feel_ , Dean. _Angel knows how you feel_ . We were his kids too. _Dad's dead_ , and he left a hole, and it hurts so bad you can't take it, but you can't just fill up that hole with whoever you want to. It's an insult to his memory.”

“ _Okay_.” 

Dean started to turn away but then reared back and punched Sam hard in the jaw.

“Stop!” Angel instantly got in between them and pushed Dean back with all her strength, “What the hell is the matter with you? Are you crazy?”

Sam turned back slowly, but didn't rise to the bait Dean left with his outburst. Instead he stayed behind Angel who was trying to referee.

“You hit me all you want. _It won't change anything_.”

“No ones hitting anyone anymore. You too are acting like teenagers. Just- just stop fighting.” She kept her arms between them, keeping them at a safe distance, as she took a breath, “It's all we’ve been doing lately.”

Still pissed, Dean turned for the hotel room, ignoring both Angel and Sam, “I'm going to that nest. You don't want to tell me where it is, _fine_. I'll find it myself.”

“Dean?”

“Dean!”

He returned to the motel room, Sam and Angel following, but Gordon was gone. 

Dean looked around, “Gordon?”

Sam looked over, “You think he went after them?”

Angel frowned, “Looks like it.”

“Guys…” Sam turned to them, grave, “We have to stop him.”

“ _Really_ , Sam?” Dean reared on him angrily, “Because I say we lend a hand.”

“Just give me the benefit of the doubt, would you? You owe me that.”

“I got you, Sammy.” Angel stated, “We _both_ do. _Right_ Dean?” 

She gave him a pointed stare which he avoided, “Yeah, we'll see. I'll drive. Give me the keys.”

Sam pointed to the table where he'd set them earlier; they're gone, “He snaked the keys.”

Angel smirked, “You two still besties after _that_?”

**_At the Impala…_ **

As Dean hotwired his car he grimaced painfully, “I can't believe this. I just fixed her up, too.” The car started and he turned to Sam, “So the bridge, is that, uh, is that all you got?”

“The bridge was four and a half minutes from their farm.”

“How do you know?”

“I counted.” He started tracing a path on the map in his lap, “They took a left out of the farm… Then turned right onto a dirt road, followed that for two minutes slightly up a hill before taking another quick right and _then_ we hit the bridge.”

Angel smirked, “Color me impressed.”

“You're good.” Dean agreed, “ _You're a monster pain in the ass_ , but you're good.”

**_In the vampire nest…_ **

As Lenore packed things into boxes, Eli came in and sat a box on the table.

“In the truck.” She instructed, “Thank you.”

“We can't leave like this.” He came over to her and grasped her arms, “Lenore, _listen to me_ , we _need_ to _stay_ and _fight_.”

“They were _my_ friends too, Eli, my _family_ -”

“That's not what I'm talking about.” He dismissed, “This is self-defense. _Kill or be killed_ . They can't _hunt_ us if they're _dead_.”

“Killing those four wouldn't solve _anything_ . There's more where they came from. _We're out-numbered_ .” She grasped onto his jean jacket, “ _This_. This is all we can do. Try and reason-”

“You can't reason with these people. They're going to kill us all anyway. We should at _least_ take a few of them with us.”

“I'm not giving up hope.” Her hand came up to rest on his cheek, “If _we_ can change, _they_ can change. Now go into town and gather the others. We leave before sunrise.”

She watched him leave before coming out of the house with a box and setting it on the flatbed of a truck. When she turned around, Gordon was there. He grabbed her, raised a knife that glistens with blood and stabbed it into her chest.

  
He held her when she went limp, “ _Dead man's blood_ , bitch.”

**SECTION FOUR**

Gordon dipped the knife into a jar of blood. Lenore was tied to a chair nearby, covered in cuts, pale and sickly. He circled around her and sliced the bloody knife across her chest. She groaned in pain just as Angel, Dean and Sam arrived.

Gordon turned upon hearing them, “Angel, Sam, Dean… _Come on in_.”

Angel studied the woman vampire in the chair and her blood ran cold, “Holy christ…”

“Hey, Gordon…” Dean nodded, also a little taken aback, “What's going on?”

“Just poisoning Lenore here with some dead man's blood. She's going to tell us where all her little friends are, aren't you?” He smirked back over to the Winchesters, “Wanna help?”

Dean shifted, “Look, man-”

“Grab a knife. I was just about to start in on the fingers.” 

He dragged the knife across her arm causing her veins to trace away from the cut.

“Listen this is just… _crazy…_ ” Angel scoffed, “Look at what you're doing!”

Gordons turned to glare at her, “What'd you call me?”

“ _Whoa, whoa, whoa_ …” Dean put his hands up as he stepped a little ahead of his sister, “Hey, let's all just chill out, huh?”

When he looked over at Dean he smiled, “I'm completely chill.”

Sam stepped towards Gordon but Dean stopped him with a hand on his chest, “Gordon, _put the knife down._ ” 

Gordon pointed his knife between Sam and Angel, “Sounds like it's Sam and Angie over here that need to _chill_.”

Sam put a calm hand out, “Just step away from her, alright?”

Gordon stared at Sam for a beat before turning to study Lenore, “You're right.” He tossed his knife onto the table, “I'm wasting my time here. This bitch will never talk. Might as well put her out of her misery.” He pulled out a machete, “I _just_ sharpened it, so it's _completely_ humane.”

When he turned toward Lenore, Sam immediately walked over to intercept him, “Gordon, _I'm letting her go_.”

Gordon pointed the knife at Sam's chest, stopping him, “You're not doing a _damn_ thing.”

At the threat towards her brother, Angel immediately took out her gun and pointed it at him but he didn't move.

“Hey, hey, hey…” Dean continued to try and quell the situation as he looked from a trigger ready Angel to a tense Gordon who held his knife to Sam's chest steadily, “Gordon, let's talk about this.”

“What's there to talk about? It's like I said, Dean. _No shades of gray_.”

“Yeah. I hear ya. And I know how you feel.”

“ _Do_ you?”

“That vampire that killed your sister _deserved_ to die, but this one-”

“ _Killed_ my sister?” Gordon laughed, “That filthy fang didn't _kill_ my sister. _It turned her_ . It made her _one_ of them. _So I hunted her down, and I killed her myself._ ”

Dean gaped at him, “You did _what_?”

“It wasn't my sister anymore, _it wasn't human_ .” He took the knife off Sam just to point to his eye, “I didn't _blink,_ and neither would _you_ if it were Angel.”

“So you knew all along, then?” Sam scoffed, “You _knew_ about the vampires, you _knew_ they weren't killing anyone. You knew about the cattle, and you just didn't care.”

“Care about _what_ ? A nest of vampires suddenly acting _nice_ ? Taking a little time out from sucking innocent people? And we're supposed to _buy_ that? _Trust me_.” He spared a glance at Lenore, “Doesn't change what they are. And I can prove it.” 

Gordon grabbed Sam's arm and sliced the knife across it. He then laid the knife against his throat as he dragged him towards Lenore.

“Hey!” Angel immediately cocked her gun, “Let him go!”

Dean pulled out his gun as well, “ _Now_!”

“ _Relax_ . If I wanted to kill him he'd already be on the floor. _Just making a little point_.” 

Gordon held the cut on Sam's arm over Lenore so the blood dripped on her face. She hissed as her fangs extended. Angel shifted nervously sending an eye to a worried Dean.

Dean shifted nervously, “Hey!”

“You think she's so different? Still want to save her? _Look_ at her. They're all the same. _Evil, bloodthirsty_.”

“No.” Lenore controlled herself and retracted her fangs before turning her face away, “ _No_.”

Sam looked from Lenore to Gordon, “You hear her, Gordon?”

“No!” Lenore repeated, “No!”

Sam pushed the knife away from his throat before pushing Gordon away, “We're done here.”

Dean kept his gun trained on Gordon as he sent a look to Angel and Sam, “Get her out of here.”

Sam nodded, “Yeah.” 

Angel and Sam picked Lenore up and started taking her outside as Gordon took a step towards them.

“Uh-uh!” Dean yelled a warning to him, stopping him from interfering, “Gordon, I think you and I've got some things to talk about.”

Gordon glared at Dean in the eyes, “Get out of my way.”

“Sorry.”

He scoffed, “You're not serious.”

“I'm having a hard time believing it too, but I know what I saw. If you want those vampires, you gotta go through _me_.”

Gordon nodded before his gaze traveled to his knife just before he jammed it into the table, “ _Fine_.”

Dean looked at the knife and then looked at his gun. He pulled the clip out of the gun and set it aside. Gordon punched him when he was looking away and they immediately started fighting. During the fight, Gordon grabbed his knife again and Dean groaned, dodging his swings before grabbing his arm, throwing him into the wall and crashing his hand into it until he dropped the blade.

“What are you doing, man? You doing this for a _fang_ ?” Gordon struggled and got the upper hand, pinning Dean this time, “ _Come on_ , Dean, we're on the same side here.”

“I don't think so, you _sadistic bastard_.”

Gordon elbowed Dean in the face before throwing him across the room, “You're not like your brother. Or even your sister. _You're a killer, like me._ ”

Suddenly, as Gordon was about to kick Dean in the face, a gunshot went off in the air and they stopped fighting to see Angel was standing behind them.

She pointed her gun at the hunter, “Mind getting the _fuck_ off my brother?”

With him distracted Dean kicked Gordon down, hauled him up against the glass mirror, and elbowed him in the face.

  
“I got this, Ang. Don't worry.” Pinning him under his elbow, he slammed Gordon's head into another wall, “Oh, _sorry_.” Dean sat him in a chair and tied him up, “You know, I _might_ be like you, and I might _not_ , but _you're_ the one tied up right now.”

**SECTION FIVE**

Sam returned to find Gordon tied to the chair, Dean pacing as they watched each other, and Angel leaning on the wall, her gun still out, as she watched the both of them.

“Did I miss anything?”

“Nah, not much.” Dean shook his head, “Lenore get out okay?”

“Yeah. All of 'em did.”

“Then I guess our work here is done. How you doin', Gordy? Gotta tinkle yet?” Gordon glared at Dean, “Alright. Well, _get comfy_. We'll call someone in two or three days, have them come out and untie you.” 

Dean jammed Gordons knife into a table behind him as Angel moved from the wall, “Lets go boys. I've had enough of this.”

“Not yet.” Dean stopped her, then turned back to Gordon, “I guess this is goodbye. Well, it's been real.” He hit Gordon, knocking him in his chair to the floor, “Okay. I'm good now. We can go.”

As they exited the farmhouse, both boys winced at their recent injuries and Angel shook her head at them, “One day you two are gonna give me a stroke you know that? With the running around freeing vampires and pissing off psycho hunters I'm not sure which of you it'll be.”

“We keep you on your toes.” Dean smirked then stopped in front of Sam pointedly, setting himself on his feet like a boxer, “Sam? Clock me one.

Ssm looked from him to Angel who shrugged just as confused, “ _What_?”

“Come on. I won't even hit you back. _Let's go_.”

“ _No_.”

“Let's go, you get a freebie. _Hit me_ , come on.”

“You look like you just went twelve rounds with a block of cement, Dean. _I'll take a raincheck_.”

“He's right, you look rough, D.” Angel smirked as they continued walking to the car, “You might break something.”

“I wish we never took this job.” Dean frowned as he walked behind them, “It's jacked everything up.”

Angel frowned, “ _How_?”

“Think about all the hunts we went on… _our whole lives_ … What if we killed things that didn't deserve killing, you know? I mean, the way Dad raised us…”

“Listen… Dad did the best he could with what he had…”

“Yeah…” Sam nodded, “After what happened to Mom…”

“I know he did, but the man wasn't perfect. And the way he raised us, to _hate_ those things; and _man, I hate 'em_ . I do. When I killed that vampire at the mill I didn't even think about it; _hell_ , I even _enjoyed_ it.”

Sam studied him, “You didn't kill Lenore.”

“ _No_ , but every instinct _told_ me to. I was gonna kill her. _I was gonna kill 'em all._ ”

“Yeah, Dean, but you didn't. And _that's_ what matters.”

“We just… we just gotta use what we learned today and look at future cases like we looked at this one.” Angel nodded, “It'll be okay.”

“Yeah. Well, only 'cause you two are a pain in my ass.”

Angel grinned as they got in the car, “But you love us.”


	4. Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel, Dean and Sam investigate the murder of a college student who has come back from the dead seeking revenge on those who mistreated her while she was alive. Upon confrontation, the ghost savagely attacks Sam, leaving him injured. While in town, the three visit their mother's grave to pass along something from their father.

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

**WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

The Impala zoomed down a two-lane blacktop as Dean drove. Sam sat passenger as Angel leaned forward, an annoyed expression on her face pointed directly at Dean.

“D…” She rolled her eyes, “Why are you being so difficult about this?”

“I'm not.” He grumbled, “This is just stupid.”

“ _Why_?”

“Going to visit _Mom's grave_ ?” Dean sent an exasperated look to her, “She doesn't even _have_ a grave. There- there was no _body_ left after the fire.”

Sam countered, “She has a _headstone_.”

“Yeah, put up by her uncle, _a man we've never even met_ .” He shook his head, “So you two wanna go pay your respects to a _slab of granite_ put up by a _stranger_ ? _Come on_.”

“Dean, that's not the point.” Angel glared, “Like Sam said, it's not about a _body_ , or a _casket_ . It's about her _memory_.”

Dean hummed dismissively trying to end the conversation but Sam continued on, “And after Dad it just… just feels like the _right_ thing to do.”

“It's _irrational_ , is what it is.”

“Dean.” Angel deadpanned at him, “We didn't ask you to come. You don't have to.”

“Why don't we swing by the roadhouse instead? I mean, we haven't heard anything on the demon lately. We should be hunting that son of a bitch down.”

“That's a good idea, you should.” Sam nodded, “Just drop Angel and I off, we’ll hitch a ride, and meet you there tomorrow.”

“Right.” Dean scoffed, “Stuck… stuck with those people, making awkward small talk until you guys show up? _No thanks_.”

**_Once at the graveyard…_ **

Angel and Sam both knelt before their mothers headstone as Sam dug in the ground with a folding knife. Her headstone read: 

_MARY WINCHESTER_

_1954-1983_

_In Loving Memory_

Angel pulled out their fathers dog tags from her pocket, sighing sadly and handing them over to her little brother.

“We think, um… We think Dad would have wanted you to have these.” He shared a look with Angel before dropping the dogtags in the hole and covering them, “I love you, Mom…”

Angel put a hand on his shoulder as she gazed at their mothers headstone sadly. Nearby, Dean stood by another gravestone, marked as ‘ _Loving Father_ ’ with a pensive look. He saw a dying tree, and stopped with a frown. Walking over to it he knocked on the trunk, consideringly, before noticing a perfect circle of dead grass surrounding a gravestone. He crouched down, fingering dead flowers. 

Later on, Dean took a card from a man in a suit before walking back over to Angel and Sam, “Angela Mason.”

Angel raised a brow as they started walking together, “ _Who_?”

“She was a student at the local college; f _uneral was three days ago_.”

“ _And_?”

“ _And_ ? You guys saw her grave. _Everything dead around it, in a perfect circle_ ? You don't think that's a little _weird_?”

Sam shrugged, “Maybe the groundskeeper went a little agro with the pesticide.”

“No, I asked him.” Dean dismissed, “ _No pesticide, no chemicals_. Nobody can explain it.”

“Hm.” Angel mused as the hunter gears turned in her head, “You thinkin’ unholy ground, maybe?”

Sam stopped, speechless and Dean turned to him, “What? That's actually a good theory. If something _evil_ happened there, it could easily poison the ground. Remember the farm outside of Cedar Rapids?”

“Yeah, b-”

“Could be the sign of a demonic presence.” Dean mused, “ _Or_ that Angela girl's spirit, if it's powerful enough.”

Sam nodded and turned away, once again earning Deans attention, “Well, don't get too excited, you might pull something.”

“It's just… stumbling onto a hunt? _Here_ , of all places?”

Dean glared, “ _So_?”

“ _So_ are you sure this is about a _hunt_ , and not about something else?”

Dean instantly bristled at that, “What else would it be about?”

Sam sighed heavily and shook his head before moving to get into the car, “You know, just forget about it.”

Deans glare pierced Angels next who put her hands up defensively before getting into the car.

“You guys believe what you want, but I let you two drag my ass out here, the _least_ we could do is check this out.”

“Yeah. _Fine_.”

“Girl's dad works in town. He's a professor at the school.”

“Lets go check it out then.” Angel sighed as she leaned back in her seat, “Better to be safe than sorry.”

**_At the University…_ **

Dr. Mason looked between the three Winchesters warily, “Yes?”

“I’m Angel.” She smiled softly, “These are my brothers Sam and Dean. We were friends of Angela's. We… we wanted to offer our condolences.”

“Oh…” His eyes softened as he stepped aside, “Please, come in.”

They entered and he closed the door behind them. Sitting down, he showed them a photo album. In the corner, Dean looked through an old book.

Sam looked at the photo album with Angel and Dr. Mason, “She was beautiful.”

Dr. Mason nodded slowly as he stared down at the album with sadness, “Yes, she was.”

Dean held up a book that had carvings of Greek letters and a triangular symbol, “This is an unusual book.”

“It's ancient Greek; I teach a course.”

Dean placed the book back on the shelf before walking over to them, “So a car accident, that's, that's horrible.”

“Angie was only a mile away from home when, uh…”

“It's gotta be hard. Losing someone like that.” Dean continued, “Sometimes it's like they're s-still around. Almost like you can still sense their presence.” Angel and Sam glance at him in concern, “You ever feel anything like that?”

“I do, as a matter of fact.”

“That's perfectly normal, Dr. Mason.” Angel shot Dean a disapproving look before her eyes softened at the older man, “Especially with what you're going through.”

“You know, I still phone her… And the phone's ringing before I remember that, uh…” His gaze saddened as he spoke to Angel, “Family's everything, you know? Angie was the most important thing in my life. And now I- I'm just lost without her.”

Sam nodded, “We're very sorry.”

**_In the motel room…_ **

“I'm telling you, there's something going on here.” Dean pressed as he flipped through their dads journal, “We just haven't found it yet.”

“ _Dean_ .” Sam looked at him through the bathroom mirror as he washed his face, “So far you've got a patch of dead grass and _nothing_.”

Dean looked up and glared, “Well, _something_ turned that grave into unholy ground.”

“We don’t know that it's unholy ground, D.” Angel said as she flipped through a magazine on the bed, “There's no evidence pointing towards that besides your gut.”

“ _You're_ the one who brought that theory up.”

“Yeah, and that was before we found out that Angela Mason was a nice girl who died in a car crash.” Angel met his glare with her own, “That's not exactly _vengeful spirit material_.”

Sam nodded, “You heard her father.”

“Yeah, well, _maybe Daddy doesn't know everything there is to know about his little angel_ , huh?”

“You know what?” Sam bristled, “We _never_ should have bothered that poor man. We shouldn't even _be here_ anymore.”

“So _what_ , guys?” Dean glared between them, “What, _we just bail_? Without even figuring out what's going on?”

“Do you have any _actual evidence_ that there's _something_ going on?” Angel asked, cutting him off when he went to answer, “ _Besides the dead grass_.”

“Dean, I think I know what's going on here.” Sam motioned between himself and Angel, “ _Both_ of us do and it's the only reason we went along with you this far.”

Dean looked from him to Angel, who cut her eyes back to the magazine she was holding, “What are you talking about?”

“This is about _Mom's grave_.”

Dean scoffed, “That's got nothing to do with it.”

“ _You wouldn't step within a hundred yards of it_ .” Sam countered, “Look, maybe you're imagining a hunt where there isn't one so you don't have to think about Mom. _Or Dad_ .” Dean turned a dangerous glare onto Sam who sighed in return, “You wanna take another swing? _Go ahead_ , if it'll make you feel better.”

“Alright, we’re not throwing fists today fellas.” Angel tossed the magazine aside as she got up, “This has been a rough couple of weeks for all of us.”

Dean's eyes blazed, “What, so you think i'm _imagining_ this shit too?”

“That's not what i said.” Angel crossed her arms, “I just think… that maybe you aren't dealing with Dad's death as well as you say you are.” Her eyes searched her little brother carefully, “Dean, I was in a coma too. _I almost died with you_. If anyone can understand what you're going through…”

Dean shook his head minutely as he grabbed his jacket and keys and headed for the door, “I don't need this crap.”

Sam sighed, “Dean, where're you going?”

“I'm going to go get a drink.” He glared between them, “ _Alone_.”

**SECTION TWO**

**_At Angela’s house…_ **

Dean quietly entered the apartment and looked around. As he picked up a framed picture he glimpsed a figure in the reflection just before she saw him- it was the roommate, Lindsey.

“Who the hell are you?!”

Turning, she ran and shut herself in her bedroom as Dean went after her, “Wait, wait! Hold on!”

“I'm calling _9-1-1_!”

“I'm Angela's cousin!”

“ _What_?”

“Yeah, her dad sent me over to, uh, pick up her stuff… My name's _Alan_ ?” Dean offered quickly, “ _Alan Stanwick_?”

Lindsey opened the door slowly, “Her dad didn't say that you were coming…”

“Well, I mean…” He held up a set of keys, “How else would I get the key to your place?”

He laughed reassuringly but a bit uncomfortably as well. Soon they were in the living room as they talked about Angela. Dean handed Lindsey a kleenex as she cried, looking slightly uncomfortable at the emotion.

“So… I'm sure you got a, a _view_ of Angela that none of the family got to see.” He smiled, “Tell me, what, what was she like? I mean, what was she _really_ like?”

“She was great.”

“Hmm…”

“Just great. I mean, she was so… _so_ …”

“ _Great_.”

“Yeah.” She nodded as she started sobbing again, “Yeah.”

“Yeah… Here you go.” Dean handed her another tissue, “You two must have been really close, huh?”

“We were.” She sniffled, “But it's not just her, it's _Matt_.”

Dean raised a brow, “ _Who_?”

“Angela's boyfriend…”

“Right, _Matt_.” Dean recovered quickly, “What about him?”

“He killed himself last night. He cut his own throat.” She sobbed, “ _Who does that_?”

Shock filled Dean's face, “That's… _terrible_.”

“He was taking Angela's death pretty hard, and I guess… I mean, he'd been messed up about it for _days_.”

“Messed up _how_?”

“He kept saying that he _saw_ her everywhere.”

“Well, I'm- I'm sure that that's normal…” Dean nodded, repeating Angel's words from earlier, “I mean with everything that he was going through.”

“No, he said that he _SAW_ her. As in, _an acid trip or something_.”

Dean nodded slowly, “Were Angela and Matt a happy couple? I mean, is there any reason that Angela would be _angry_ with him?”

“ _What_ ?” Lindsey squeaked, “ _No_ , of course not, why do you ask?”

“Just asking.” Dean dismissed, “Where did Matt live?”

**_Back at the motel…_ **

Angel and Sam sat beside each other on one of the beds as _Gremlins_ played on the TV. Dean walked in just then, earning their eyes, as he stopped by the door and took his jacket off.

Sam looked him over, “Where the hell have you been?”

Dean put his jacket over the TV interrupting Angel and stepping in front of it to look at her and Sam pointedly, “Working my _imaginary_ case.”

“Well…” Angel sighed as she turned the TV off and motioned to her brother, “What’d you find?”

“Well, you guys were right, I didn't find _much_.”

Sam nodded sympathetically but Angel looked him over curiously, “But you found _something…_ ”

“ _Yeah_ . Angela's boyfriend died last night. _Slit his own throat_ , but, you know, that's _normal_ .” He waved dismissively at them as he continued, “Uh, let's see, what else. _Oh_ , he was _seeing_ Angela everywhere before he died, but you know, _I'm sure that's just me transferring my own feelings_.”

“ _Alright, alright_.” Angel rolled her eyes as she and Sam shared a look, “We get it, Dean. We’re sorry.”

“Yeah…” Sam shrugged, “Maybe there is something going on here.”

“ _Maybe_ ?” Dean snapped as his glare returned and his voice raised, “You know, d _espite what you guys might think_ , I _know_ how to do my job.”

“Neither one of us said you _didn't_ , Dean. We weren’t implying it either.” Angel gave him a dismissive look, warning him to drop his attitude, “You check out the boyfriend's apartment?”

“I just came from there.” Dean said as he took off his flannel and sat on one of the chairs, “Pile of dead plants, just like the cemetery. Hell, _dead goldfish_ too.”

Sam moved to the end of the bed as Angel moved to the side, “So, unholy ground?”

“Maybe. I'm still not getting that _powerful angry spirit_ vibe from Angela.” Dean got up and retrieved a small pink book from his jacket, “I have been reading this, though.”

Angel raised a brow, “ _You stole a dead girl's diary_?”

“ _Yeah_ , Ang. And if anything the girl's a little _too_ nice.”

Sam sighed, “So what do you want to do?”

Dean answered as he leafed through the diary, “Keep digging, talk to more of her friends.”

“You get any names?”

“Are you kidding me?” He held the diary up with a smile, “ _I have her bestest friend in the whole wide world_.”

**_Neil’s House…_ **

Neil, one of Angela's friends, looked between the three Winchesters with narrowed eyes, “I didn't realize the college employed grief counselors.”

“Of course.” Angel smiled, “The Dean just wanted to make sure all of Angela's friends knew the school was here to help you guys grieve. We’re here to listen.”

Dean nodded beside her, “Or maybe throw in a little therapeutic collage, whatever _jump-starts_ the healing.”

“Well, I think I'm okay.” Neil nodded and turned to walk back into his house, “Thanks.”

Sam stopped him, “Well, you heard what happened to Matt Harrison, right?”

Neil turned with a frown, “Yeah, I did.”

“We just wanted to make sure _you_ were okay.” Sam's face softened, “Grief can make people do _crazy_ things.”

Neil studied the three of them with furrowed brows before responding, “Look, I'm sorry about what happened to him, _I am_ , but if Matt killed himself it wasn't 'cause of _grief_.”

“No?” Angel cocked her head curiously at that, “Then why?”

“It was _guilt_. Angie's death was Matt's fault and he knew it.”

“Uh…” Sam looked him over as well, “How was Matt responsible?”

“She really loved that guy, but the night of the accident she walked in on him with another girl.” He explained, “She was really torn up, _that's_ why she crashed the car.” Sighing sadly he motioned to the house, “Um, look, I gotta get ready for work, so… thanks for the concern, but… _seriously_ , I'll be okay.”

Dean turned and gave Angel and Sam a significant look as Neil walked inside. 

“Well, that vengeful spirit theory's starting to make a little more sense.” Dean said as they walked down the street, “I mean, _hell hath no fury_ …”

Sam frowned, “So if Angela got her revenge on Matt, you think it's over?”

Angel huffed sharing a grim look with Dean, “There's only one way we can be sure…”

“Yeah?” Sam looked over at her as they got into the car, “What's that?”

Dean answered, “ _Burn the bones_.”

“ _Burn the bones_ ?” Sam repeated incredulously then scoffed when they both nodded, “Are you two _high_? Angela died last week!”

“ _So_?”

“ _And_?”

“There's not gonna be _bones_ . There's gonna be a _ripe, rotting body_ in the coffin.”

“Awe, Sammy.” Angel leaned forward with a grin, “Don’t tell me you're afraid to get a little _dirty_?”

**_At the graveyard…_ **

Angel held the flashlight and stood watch as her brothers dug at Angela's gravesite. _Perks of being the eldest._ The boys were both panting and sweating with exertion from the job. Standing on the coffin, Dean cleared the rest of the dirt off and turned to look up at Angel.

He smirked at her, “Ladies first.”

“Tired already?” She smirked at his glare as she jumped into the hole beside them and handed Sam her flashlight, “Hold that.”

Angel opened the coffin, already wincing in preparation of the smell, but the coffin was empty. She turned her head and shared a look of shock with each of her brothers.

**SECTION THREE**

“I don't get it…” Angel looked back to the empty coffin, “ _They buried the body four days ago_. What the hells going on?”

Sam pointed the flashlight to something carved into the inside of the coffin, “ _Look_.”

Dean looked it over beside them, “What is that?”

“I'm not sure.”

Deans brows furrowed as recognition filled him, “I've seen these kinds of symbols before…”

**_At Dr. Mason’s office the next day…_ **

Dean pounded heavily and agitatedly on the front door earning a hand on his arm from Angel, “Dean… Just take it easy, alright?”

Dr. Mason opened the door and looked between them with sad eyes, “You're Angie's friends, right?”

Sam answered gently, “Dr. Mason-”

Dean's harsh voice interrupted him, “We need to talk.”

“Oh…” He seemed taken aback by Dean's sharp tone but stepped aside and allowed them to walk inside nonetheless, “Well, then, come in.”

Angel offered him a friendly smile, “Thanks.”

“You teach Ancient Greek.” Dean said once inside, “Tell me…” He unwrapped the paper he wrote the symbols on and handed it over, “What are these?”

Dr. Mason took the paper from him and looked at it but turned back to them confused, “I don't understand… You said this had something to do with _Angela_.”

“It does.” Dean motioned, “Please, just _humor_ me.”

“They're part of an ancient Greek divination ritual.”

“Used for _necromancy_ , right?”

“That's right.”

Angel sighed and crossed her arms from beside Dr. Mason as she and Sam both gave Dean their best ‘ _calm down_ ’ look. He ignored them.

“See, before we came over here we stopped by the library and did a little _homework_ ourselves. _Apparently_ they used rituals like this one for communicating with the dead. Even bringing corpses back to life. _Full-on zombie action_.”

“Yes.” He nodded with a shrug, “I mean, according to the legends. Now, what's all this about?”

Angel watched Dr. Masons face and had doubts of their first theory. She was about to dismiss this whole conversation when Dean pushed on.

“I think you know.”

Angel pierced her eyes to his his, “ _Dean_.”

“Look, _I get it_ , okay? There are people that I would give _anything_ to see again, but what gives _you_ the right?”

Sam looked at his brother like he was insane, “Dean, stop!”

Dr. Mason stared at him wide eyed with confusion, “What are you _talking_ about?”

“What's dead should stay dead!”

“ _What_?!”

“ _Dean_ !” Angel yelled trying to reign him in, “That's _enough_!”

“What you brought back isn't even your _daughter_ anymore! These things are _vicious_ , they're _violent_ ! _They're so nasty they rot the ground around them_ . I mean, come on, haven't you seen _Pet Sematary_?”

Dr. Mason looked at him like he’d lost his mind as he shook, “You're _insane_.”

Dean turned as the man hurried to his landline, “ _Where is she_?”

“Get out of my house!”

As he started dialing the phone Dean angrily knocked it out of his hands, “I know you're hiding her somewhere. _Where is she_?!”

“Dean, stop it! I mean it! You need to take a breath.” Angel pushed herself between them, looking her brother in the eyes and breaking his contact with Dr. Mason before she grabbed his jacket and pointed him to a row of plants by the window, “ _Look_ . Beautiful, _living_ plants.”

“It’s not him.” Sam looked from Dean to Dr. Mason, “We're leaving.”

“I'm calling the police!”

Angel pushed Dean out the door as Sam followed, “Sir, we're sorry. We won't bother you again.”

As Dean angrily walked down the steps and along the sidewalk Angel followed, “What the hell was that, Dean? What's the matter with you?” She scoffed at his silence, “I'm _talking_ to you, Dean!”

“Just _back off_.”

Sam rushed behind them, “What the hell, Dean? That man is _innocent_! He didn't deserve that!”

“Okay, so she's not _here_.” Dean argued, “Maybe he's keeping her somewhere else.”

“Stop it!” Sam yelled at him, “That's _enough_ , okay? _Enough_!”

“I know what I'm doing.”

“No, you don't. _At all_ .” Dean scoffed a laugh but kept walking, “Dean, I don't scare easy, but _you're scaring the crap out of me_.”

Dean rolled his eyes, “You're both being overdramatic.”

Sam stopped him from walking, “You're lucky this turned out to be a real case ‘cause if it wasn't you would have just _found_ something else to kill.”

“Wha-”

“Dean, you're on edge, you're erratic…” Angel shook her head at him, “ _Except_ for when you're hunting, because then you're downright _scary_ . You're _tailspinning_ , and you _refuse_ to talk about it and you won't let either one of us help you.” She instantly cut him off when he opened his mouth to argue, “I _understand_ you can take care of yourself. _I understand that you arent a little kid anymore_ , okay? I’m not dumb, D, but the three of us are in this shit together. You don't have to take care of yourself but for some reason you're the only one who thinks you should have to. You don't have to handle this on your own, Dean… _I’m_ not… _No one can_.”

“Angel, if you bring up Dad's death one more time-”

“ _Please_ , Dean!” Angel pleaded with him in desperation, stopping him once again when he tried to walk away, “This is killing you. _Please_ .” Shock filled Dean's face when he saw the tears in her eyes, “We've already lost _Dad_ and i was the-” Her voice broke at the emotion and guilt she held for her fathers death so she treked on “ _We've lost Mom… Sam lost Jessica_ . You two are my whole life.” Sam's jaw clenched as he tried to keep the emotion from spilling out as well, “I can't lose you too… I _can't_ lose you boys, you're- you two mean the world to me, Dean.”

“We better get out of here before the cops come.” Hurt spread across Angel's face at his dismissal but his eyes softened when he caught it, “ _I hear you_ , Ang, okay? I hear _both_ of you… I'm being an ass, and I'm sorry, but right now we've got a friggin' zombie running around, and we need to figure out how to kill it.” Angel and Sam both let out a small laugh at that, “ _Right_?”

“Man…” Sam shook his head, “ _Our lives are weird_.”

“You're telling me?” Dean shook his head and started back over to the impala, “Come on.”

**_Back at the motel…_ **

Dean paced agitatedly around the room, “We can't just waste it with a head shot?”

“D…” Angel shook her head, “You gotta lay off the Romero flicks.”

“You're telling me there's _no_ lore on how to smoke 'em?”

“ _No_ , Dean.” Sam shook his head as Dean sat at the table by the window across from Angel, “I'm saying there's _too_ much. I mean, there's a _hundred_ different legends on the walking dead, but they all have different methods for killing them.” He got up and joined them at the table, “Some say- _setting them on fire_ , uh, one said, where is it? Right here. _Feeding their hearts to wild dogs_ . _That's_ my personal favorite.”

Angel groaned, “Who knows what's _real_ and what's _myth_?” She ran her hands over her face before looking back up at Sam, “Anything in there that they all have in common?”

“No.” Sam shrugged, “But a few said _silver_ might work.”

Dean nodded, “Silver's a start.”

“Yeah, but now how are we going to find Angela?”

“We've got to figure out the person who brought her back.” Angel looked between her brothers, “ _Personally_ , if it's not her dad, and her boyfriends already dead… I think the roommate might have gone ‘ _Single White Female_ ’. Maybe _she's_ doing this.”

Dean's eyes widened as if he just thought of something, “You know what… I think it might be Neil.”

“Neil?” Angel repeated, “Her bestie?”

“Yep.”

Sam watched as he stood and crossed the room to pick up the pink diary, “How'd you come up with that?”

“Well, _you've_ got _your_ journal, _I've_ got _mine_ .” He looked down and started reading from the diary, “‘ _Neil's a real shoulder to cry on, he so understands what I'm going through with Matt_ .’ There's more in here where _that_ came from. It's got _unrequited Duckie love_ written all over it.”

“Yeah, but…” Sam frowned, “That doesn't mean he brought her back from the dead.”

“ _Hmm_ . Did I mention he's Professor Mason's _TA_?”

Angel nodded as Sam looked speculative, “Which means he has access to all the same books…”

**_At Neils house later that night…_ **

“Hello? Neil?!” Dean yelled once he, with Angel and Sam, broke into the dark, quiet house, “It's your grief counselors- _we've come to hug_.”

When he and Angel pulled out their guns, Sam looked at them, “Silver bullets?”

“Yup.”

“Enough to make her rattle like a change purse.”

They started stalking through the house. Dean was in the lead with his gun out, Sam in the middle, followed by Angel who kept her gun out and watched from the rear. They saw wilted plants by a window before finding the entrance to the basement. 

Dean nodded at it, “Unless it's where he keeps his porn…”

Sam rolled his eyes at that before opening the door. Dean, again, led the way down the stairs to an empty room that held a messy cot. 

“Well…” Angel looked around, “Sure looks like a zombie pen to me.”

“Yeah. _An empty one_.” Sam looked between them grimly, “You think Angela's going after somebody?”

Dean found a loose grate and pulled it aside. It hung off its hinges allowing a gaping hole to lead outside.

“Nah…” Dean turned to them, “I think she went out to rent _Beaches_.”

“Look, _smartass_ , she might kill someone.” Sam glared, “We gotta find her.”

“Alright, we just gotta find out who's next on her kill list.” Angel mused, “She snuffed _Matt_ because he was cheating, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well it takes two to-”

“ _Have hardcore sex_?”

Sam shook his head at Dean as Angel rolled her eyes, “ _Yeah_.”

“You know what?” Dean offered, “It kinda seemed that, uh, Angela's roommate was _broken up_ over Matt's death. I mean, like, _really_ broken up.”

**_At Angela's house…_ **

Lindsey sat in the dim house looking at a framed picture of Matt and Angela. When she heard a noise, she got up and went to the front door.

“Hello?”

After a second she nervously opened the door, but saw nothing. Once she turned back around, Angel was standing there. Angela grabbed her by the hair as she screamed.

“Hi Lindsey, I'm home!”

**SECTION FOUR**

Lindsey broke away from Angela, screaming. She bolted for the kitchen, Angle following after picking up a pair of scissors.

“You know what you did!”

“I'm sorry! I am so, so-”

“You're not sorry enough!”

Angela stabbed with the scissors but Lindsey ducked. She attacked again and Lindsey went down to the floor. As Angela advanced, Lindsey kicked out, knocking Angela forward onto the scissors. She went still and Lindsey got up, cautiously shoving Angelas body over. The scissors were sticking out of her chest.

“Oh god. Oh my god.” Lindsey wailed, “ _Oh my god_ , oh, oh-”

Angelas eyes snapped open and she grabbed Lindsey by the hair as she pulled the scissors out. As she pulled them both to standing, readying the scissors to stab Lindsey, several shots were fired. Angela convulsed after turning to see Angel, Sam and Dean enter, Angel's gun still pointed at her. Dean fired his gun then, directly into Angelas chest. She screamed and bolted out the window. Dean followed as Sam and Angel ran to Lindsey.

“Gotcha.” Sam cooed, “We gotcha.”

“She’s not gonna hurt you.” Angel soothed, “You're safe now.”

Dean came back through the window, “ _Damn_ , that dead chick can _run_.”

Angel stood and looked at him, “Let's go find Neil and have a little chat, shall we?”

**_In the Impala…_ **

As Dean drove, Angel sat in the back as Sam sat passenger with their Dad’s journal open, “So the silver bullets, they did something, right?”

“Yeah, _something_ , but not enough.” Dean looked over, “What else you got?”

“Um, okay, besides silver, we have… _nailing the undead back into their grave beds_ . It's mentioned a few times. It's probably where the whole _vampire staking lore_ came from.”

“Nailing her back into her grave bed?” Angel gaped as she leaned forward, “You're _serious_?”

“Yeah.”

Dean scoffed, “How the hell are we going to get Angela back to the cemetery?”

**_At Neils office…_ **

Neil sat in the dark nervously as Angel, Sam and Dean entered the room, “What are you three doing here?”

“You know, I've heard of people doing some pretty _desperate_ things to get laid, but _you…_ ” Dean clicked his tongue as they came to a stop in front of Neil, “ _You_ take the cake.”

“Okay…” Neils brows furrowed as he pushed his paperwork aside, “Who are you three?”

“Oh.” Angel cocked her head at him, “You might want to ask _Angela_ that question.”

Neil paled, “ _What_?”

“We know what you did.” Sam shook his head, “The ritual? _Everything_.”

Neil scoffed, “You're _crazy_.”

“Your girlfriend's past her expiration date and _we're_ crazy?” Dean leaned down on the desk, “ _When someone's gone they should stay gone_. You don't mess with that kind of stuff.”

“Angela _killed_ Matt.”

“She just tried to kill Lindsey.”

Neil shook his head as they talked, “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Dean stomped over to the other side of the desk and hauled Neil up by the collar, “ _No more crap_ , Neil. His blood is on _your_ hands. Now. Me and the two of them can make this right, but you've gotta tell us where she is.” When he just looked down at Deans fisted hands, Dean shook him, “ _Tell us_!”

“My house. She's at my house.”

As Dean let him go, Angel noticed several potted plants by the window that were all dead. 

She glared at Neil, “You sure about that?”

Neil nodded but looked around nervously. Dean looked past him to see a closet. Thinking for a second he seemed to get an idea as he raised his voice slightly.

“Listen. It doesn't really matter where she is. There's only one way to stop her. We've got to perform another ritual over her grave, to reverse the one that _you_ did. We're going to need some black root, some- some scar weed, some candles… It's _very_ complicated, but it'll get the job done. She'll be dead again in a couple hours. I think you should come with us.” He emphasized the significance of his words, “ _I'm serious_ , Neil. Leave _with_ us. _Right now_.”

“No.” Neil shook his head, fear clouding his eyes, “No.”

Dean leaned in and lowered his voice, “ _Listen to me_ . Get out of here as soon as you can. But _most of all_ , be _cool_ . No _sudden_ movements. _Don't make her mad_.” He motioned to Sam and Angel, “Let's go.”

After they left, Neil swallowed hard and opened the closet where Angela was waiting, “You said you'd stay in the house.”

“Sorry. I just needed to see you. Neil, _please_. You have to help me.”

She lowered her arms to show the stab and bullet wounds making him cringe, “Oh, god.”

“Come with me to the cemetery. Neil, _they're trying to kill me_ . We have to _stop_ them.”

“You mean _kill_ them.” She nodded and realization filled him, “It's true. _Matt and Lindsey_.”

“They _hurt_ me! If you love me you'll make sure _nobody_ hurts me again. _Take me to the cemetery_ , and then all this will be over. We can start _new_ lives, _together_.”

“Okay…” Neil nodded slowly, “ _God help me_ , but _okay_. I'll go get the car. Just- just wait here.”

Leaving, he hurriedly made it down to the parking lot. By the time he reached his car he was panting. He dropped the keys when he tried to open the car and as he stood Angela was there.

“Neil, you look _nervous_.”

He trembled, “No, I’m- I’m fine.”

“Were you going to _leave_ me?”

“No! Of course not!”

“You were, weren't you?!” Angela yelled angry, “How could you? Neil, I _loved_ you!”

“Angela-”

She grabbed his head and wrenched it; with a crunch, his neck broke and he fell to the ground dead.

**_At the graveyard…_ **

Around Angelas grave, Angel, Dean and Sam were busy lighting candles.

“So…” Sam looked over, “You really think this is going to work?”

“No, not really.” Dean shrugged, “But it was the only thing I could come up with.”

When they heard a noise in the distance, the three of them nodded to each other. Sam stood and pulled a gun from the small of his back as he stalked in the direction of the sound. Some distance away, he froze when he heard something behind him. As Angela advanced towards him, he turned at the last minute and pointed the gun at her.

She stopped short, “ _Wait_ !” She yelled, “It's not what you think. I didn't _ask_ to be brought back. _But it's still me_ . I'm still a _person_ . _Please_.”

After hearing her out, Sam fired the gun, hitting her square in the forehead. She screamed as her head snapped back. Then he bolted back towards the grave. She tackled him, and he landed hard on the ground. When she twisted his head back to snap it, Angel fired at her, startling her back to standing. She shot her several more times until she fell straight back into the open grave with Dean, landing in the empty coffin. Dean took the long metal stake he held and buried it deep in her chest, pinning her in.

Angela screamed, “Wait, don't!”

Dean drove it further in until she gasped one last time, before going limp.

Dean pulled back as he panted, “What's _dead_ should _stay_ dead.”

**SECTION FIVE**

**_At the graveyard the next morning…_ **

The boys patted the dirt of the grave as they panted, “Rest in peace.”

“Yeah.” Dean nodded, “For good this time, okay?”

The three of them turned away and headed for the Impala.

“You know…” Sam grunted as he lifted the shovel over one shoulder, “That whole _fake ritual thing_ , luring Angela into the cemetery? _Pretty sharp_.”

“Yeah, actually.” Angel nodded with a smile, “Color me impressed.”

Dean smirked at them, “Thanks.”

Sam frowned, “But did we have to use _me_ as bait?”

“I figured you were more her type.” Dean teased, “You know, she had pretty crappy taste in guys.”

Sam winced, “I think she broke my hand.”

Dean shook his head, “You're just too fragile.”

Angel chuckled, “Awe, Sammy… We'll get it looked at later, promise.” When Dean turned back to their mothers grave and paused, Angel studied him, “You want to stay for a while?”

Dean looked from the grave back to her with sad eyes, “No.”

They dropped their things in the trunk of the car and got in, Dean in the driver's side. They pulled out of town onto the highway but it didn't take long for a prominent scowl to appear on Deans face. Both of his siblings looked at him with concern as he pulled the car across the road to stop in the opposite shoulder. He got out and sat on the hood as Sam and Angel both followed.

Angel stood in front of him as Sam sat next to him on the hood, “Dean, what is it?”

He paused for a few minutes before licking his lips and looking up at the sky, “I'm sorry.”

Angel shared a look with Sam before her gaze met Deans, “For what?”

“The way I've been acting… _And for Dad_. I mean, he was your guys’s dad too.” His voice dropped to a whisper as guilt filled him, “And it's my fault that he's gone.”

Understanding filled Angel. Shed felt the same way about herself since they lost their father. She knew Dean had to be feeling it too but she knew he wouldn't admit it until he was read.

Sam's brows furrowed, “What are you talking about?”

“I know you guys have been thinking it… _so have I_ . Doesn't take a genius to figure it out. Back at the hospital…” He looked up at Angel, making eye contact, “We made a full recovery. _It was a miracle._ And five minutes later _Dad's dead_ and the Colt's _gone_.”

Guilt clouded Angel even more but she didn't speak, Sam did, “Dean-”

“You can't say there's not a connection there.”

“Dean… we don't know if there's a connection or not. We don't know how or if the demon was involved. We don't know how the whole thing went down.” Angel came to sit beside him on the other side, “But… I do know how you feel because I feel the same way about myself.”

“Dad's dead because of us.” Emotion filled Dean as he looked back over to her, “That much I _do_ know.”

“We don't know that.” Sam's soft voice broke the tense silence that filled them, “Not for sure.”

  
Tears fell from Dean's eyes and slid down his cheeks, “You two and Dad… You're the most important people in my life. And now… I never should've come back. It wasn't _natural_. And now look what's come of it. _I was dead. And I should have stayed dead_. You guys wanted to know how I was feeling. Well, that's it.” Sam nodded as pain filled Angel athis words, “So tell me… What could either of you possibly say to make that alright?”


	5. Simon Said

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel, Sam and Dean meet Andy, a slacker who has psychic powers of persuasion, which he uses to gain favors from people. However, when some of Andy's friends start dying, the Winchesters question whether Andy is using his powers to kill.

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

**WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

_A smiling, late-middle aged man walked down a side walk when his phone started ringing. He stopped as he answered it._

_“Hello? Yeah.” A white-flash image of a gun barrel raising filled his mind as he frowned, “Alright”_

_Another image of himself cocking a shotgun filled his mind as he lowered the phone slowly. A city bus with a triangular Blue Ridge logo on the front passed him. His smile returned as he turned around and continued walking down the street. Across the street he entered a sports equipment shop and approached a man leaning against a counter reading GUNS magazine._

_“Afternoon, Dennis.”_

_“Hey, Doc.”_

_“I'd like to look at a gun.”_

_Dennis laughed, “Yeah, right, doc.” Dr. Jennings just stared at him causing him to lower his magazine, “Seriously?”_

_At Dr. Jennings eye, Dennis crossed behind the counter in front of a display of guns. Dr. Jennings looked around before pointing to one on the wall._

_“That one.”_

_“Okay.” Dennis unlocked the display and pulled out the indicated gun, “That's a turkey hunter, twelve gauge, pump action. Doesn't leave enough turkey behind, if you ask me.”_

_“What sort of shells does it use?”_

_“Right here.” Dennis pulled a box from under the counter, “I'm taking the boys up to the cabin this weekend if you're uh… I mean if you think you might like to take up the sport.”_

_“Thanks, but no. You know guns make me nervous, always have.” Dr. Jennings took a shell and started to fit it into the gun, “This one goes in here, right?”_

_“Whoa, Doc! No, you can't load a weapon on the premises, it's illegal!”_

_“It's okay, Dennis.”_

_“No, no-”_

_“It's okay, Dennis.” He turned the gun on Dennis, “It's all gonna be okay.”_

_“Doc!”_

_When he fired, Dennis was hurled against the wall as the blast hit him._

_As the other customers started to panic, Dr. Jennings cooed to them, “No, no, it's okay. It's all gonna be okay.”_

_He pressed the shotgun against his chin and fired, splattering the ceiling with blood._

In a dingy truckstop bathroom, Sam gasped as he reeled from the vision. 

“No…”

He quickly turned the water on and splashed some over his face before scrubbing his hand through his hair. As he shut the water off he looked up into the mirror just as the door burst open to reveal Dean.

“Sam, zip it up. Angel filled the impala so let’s hit the…” He paused as he absorbed Sam's condition, “...road. What?”

**_In the Impala…_ **

Dean drove the impala down a dark two-lane road with Angel in the back as Sam sat passenger and relayed his vision to them. 

_The radio played in the background, “Rockin' Nebraska. Your source for the classics, all night long.”_

“I don't know…” Dean shook his head tensely, “Why don't we just chill out, think about this.”

Sam shut the radio off, “What's there to think about?”

“I just don't know if going to the _Roadhouse_ is the smartest idea.”

“Dean…” Angel sighed, “I don't like it that much either but if he had another premonition then _Ash_ can tell us where.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Plus it could have some connection with the demon.” Sam interjected, “ _My visions always do_.”

“That's my point.” Dean took a heavy breath, “There's gonna be _hunters_ there. I don't know if- if going in and _announcing_ that you're some _supernatural freak_ with a- a _demonic connection_ is the best thing, okay?”

Angel leaned back into her seat with wide eyes at Dean's words but Sam turned to him with a hurt expression, “So I'm a _freak_ now?”

Dean quickly slapped him on the thigh, “You've always been a freak.”

He smiled weekly before turning back to the road and revving the engine.

**_At the roadhouse…_ **

The Winchesters entered the Roadhouse, passing two men at a table cleaning weapons. They glared directly at Dean who made eye contact but when Angel came into view their eyes softened. She winked at the man closest to them before earning an eye from her brother Dean and shrugging. He turned and almost ran straight into Jo, who stopped and smiled.

“Just can't stay away, huh?”

Dean chuckled, “Yeah, looks like. How you doin’, Jo?”

Sam came up hurriedly behind Angel and Dean, “Where's Ash?”

“In his back room.”

“Great.”

Sam brushed past Jo, earning a look, “And _I'm_ fine…”

“Sorry.” Angel offered a smile as she went to follow Sam, “Kind of on a bit of a timetable.”

Sam, with Angel close behind, approached a rough wooden door with a sign hanging on it that read:

_DR BADASS IS: IN_

“Ash?” Sam quickly knocked on the door, “Hey, Ash?”

Dean pounded on it next, even harder, when he came up beside them, “Ash!”

“Yo, _Dr. Badass_.” Angel pounded on the door next, “You got clients out here!”

The door unlatched and opened a crack to reveal Ash, who was naked. The three of them quickly averted their eyes.

“Angel? Sam? Dean?” He inhaled deeply before smiling, “ _Angel, Sam and Dean_.”

Sam grimaced slightly before rolling his eyes and facing him, “Hey Ash. Um…” He cleared his throat, “We need your help.”

“Well, _hell_ then.” He grinned, “Guess I need my pants.”

He shut the door quickly and the Winchester each shared horrified looks before walking back to the bar. Soon Ash was sitting at a table with his laptop open, looking at the hand-drawn sketch of the bus logo from Sam's vision. Sam and Angel each sat across from him as Dean stood behind.

“Well, I got a match. It's the logo from the Blue Ridge bus lines. _Guthrie, Oklahoma_.”

“Okay.” Sam nodded before pointing at his laptop hurriedly, “Do me a favor, check Guthrie for any demonic _signs_ , or _omens_ , or anything like that.”

Ash looked up at him curiously as he typed away, “You think the demon's there?”

Sam shrugged but he and Angel shared a tense look as Dean went rigid as well, “Yeah, maybe.”

Ash studied that, “Why would you think that?”

Dean snapped, “Just _check it_ , alright?”

Ash turned to give him a look and the Winchesters frowned at each other.

Ash did as asked but shook his head quickly after, “No, sir, nothing. No demon.”

“Alright, try something else for me.” Sam paused before frowning deeper, “Search Guthrie for a house fire. It would be 1983, fire's origin would be a baby's nursery, night of the kid's six month birthday.”

Ash looked at him startled as Dean looked around to check for eavesdroppers. Jo was behind them wiping down a table and she studied them, slowing once she saw all four of their rigid postures. 

“Okay, now that is just _weird_ , man.” Ash shook his head at Sam, curiously as well as freaked out, “Why the hell would I be looking for _that_.”

Angel pulled out a beer bottle and sat it next to the laptop, “‘Cause there's a PBR in it for ya, baby.”

Ash nodded and looked at the computer with determination, “Give me _fifteen_ minutes.”

**_Later on…_ **

Jo pressed a few buttons on the jukebox and the opening chords to _REO Speedwagon ‘Can't Fight This Feeling’_ started playing. Dean, sitting at the bar, looked on in horror as Jo carried a tray to the bar and sat it down, catching his eye.

“What?”

“ _REO Speedwagon_?”

“Damn right REO.” Jo nodded as she walked over to him, “ _Kevin Cronin sings it from the heart_.”

“He sings it from the _hair_ .” Dean smirked at her before taking a sip of his beer, “ _There's a difference_.”

Jo studied his face as she got serious, “That profile you've got Ash looking for?”

“Hm.”

“Your mom died the same way, didn't she? A fire in Sam's nursery?”

Dean tensed, “Look, Jo, it's kind of a family thing…”

“I could _help_.”

“I'm sure you could, but we've got to handle this one ourselves. _Besides_ , if I ran off with you I think your mother might kill me.”

Ellen, who was cleaning glasses behind the bar, looked at him and he smiled nervously. An exchange Jo didn't miss.

“You're afraid of my _mother_?”

He nodded slowly, “ _I think so_.”

Across the room, Angel was leaning her elbows on the bar. She smiled brilliantly as the hunter from earlier, Todd, leaned into her as he made a move. Before he could reach her lips though, Sam hurried up behind him. He ignored the glare the guy was sending his way, instead waving a file at his sister.

“We have a match. We've gotta go.”

“Right.” Sending a smile to her new friend she slipped out of his reach, grabbed her coat and followed her brother, “Call me sometime.”

Todd frowned, “I don't have your number…”

After Sam wrangled Dean up they piled into the Impala and drove toward their destination. Much to the dismay of Angel and Sam, Dean sang REO’s ‘ _Can't Fight This Feeling_ ’ while he drove.

“ _And even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight; You're a candle in the window on a cold dark winter night; And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might_ …”

In the back, Sam looked up from the file in his hands, “You're kidding, right?”

Dean frowned, “I heard the song somewhere…”

“Yeah…” Angel snickered, “At the _Roadhouse_ , when _Jo_ played it.”

“I cant get it out of my head, I don't know.” Dean grumbled in embarrassment as he looked in the rearview, “Whaddya got?

Sam looked back down at the stack of papers, “ _Andrew Gallagher._ Born in eighty three, _like me_ . Lost his mother in a nursery fire exactly six months later, _also like me_.”

Angel looked at him from the mirror, “You think the demon killed his mom?”

“Sure looks like it.”

Deans brows furrowed as he thought, “How did you even know to look for this guy?”

“Every premonition I've had…” Sam explained, “If they're not about the _demon_ they're about the other _kids_ the demon visited. Like _Max Miller_ , remember him?”

“Yup.” Angel shook her head, “Dude that almost shot us in the face with his mind right? Who could forget?”

Dean rolled his eyes, “Max Miller was a pasty little psycho.”

“ _The point is_ he was killing people, and I was having the same type of visions about him. And _now_ it could be happening all over again with this _Gallagher_ guy.”

“How do we find him?”

“Don't know. No current _address_ , no current _employment_ . He still owes money on all his bills: _phone, credit, utilities_ …”

“Collection agency flags?”

“None in the system.”

Angel raised a brow as she turned to him, “They just let him _walk_?”

“Seems like it. There's a work address from his last W-2, about a year ago. Let's start there.”

**_At a coffee shop…_ **

Clad in their best clothing, the Winchesters sat at a table as a waitress, Tracy, poured them all a cup of coffee.

“You won't get anything out of Andy.” She shook her head, “I'm sorry, but they never do.”

Angel raised a brow, “ _‘They’_?”

“You're debt collectors, right?” She studied them, “Once in a while they come by. I don't know what Andy says to them, but… they never come back.”

“Actually we're _lawyers_ .” Dean corrected, “Representing his Great Aunt Leta. She passed, _God rest her soul_ , and left Andy a sizable estate.”

“Yeah.” Sam nodded, “So are you a friend of his?”

“I used to be, yeah.” She frowned, “I don't see much of Andy anymore.”

“ _Andy_ ?” A guy around Sam's age interjected excitedly as he took a seat next to Angel, “Andy _kicks ass_ , man.”

Angel studied him, “Is that right?”

“Yeah! Andy can get you into anything. He even got me _backstage_ at _Aerosmith_ once.” His eyes widened in amazement, “ _It was beautiful_ , bro.”

“Mhm.” Tracy looked down at him pointedly, “How ‘bout bussing a _table_ or _two_ , Weber?”

“Yeah.” He looked up at her with wide eyes before turning those eyes onto the Winchesters, “You bet, boss.”

The Winchesters shared a look with one another as he scurried off.

“Look, if you want to find him, try Orchard Street.” Tracy offered, “Just look for a van with a barbarian queen painted on the side.”

Dean bulked, “ _Barbarian queen_?”

“She's riding a polar bear.” Tracy cocked an eyebrow, “It's kind of hard to miss.”

**_On Orchard Street…_ **

“I'm sorry, I'm starting to like this dude.” Dean said as they watched the aforementioned _van-with-barbarian-queen_ , “That van is _sweet_.”

After sending daggers to Dean, Angel studied her other brother who was frowning prominently, “What's wrong?”

He shook his head, “Nothing.”

“ _Sammy…_ ” She sighed and leaned forward, “What's going on?”

“This _Andrew Gallagher_ …” Sam frowned deeper, “He's the _second_ guy like this we've found. Demon came to them when they were kids, _now they're killing people_.”

“We don't know that for sure.” Angel shook her head, “We don't know what Andrew Gallagher is or if he’s killing.”

“Yeah. He could be innocent.”

“My visions haven't been wrong yet.”

“What's your point?”

“My point is, _I'm one of them_.”

“No, you're not.”

“You're nothing like them, Sammy.”

He deadpanned at them, “The demon said he had plans for _me_ and _children like me_.”

“Okay…” Angel shrugged, “ _So_?”

“ _So_ maybe _this_ is his plan, maybe we're all a bunch of _psychic freaks_ , maybe we're all supposed to be-”

“What?” Angel glared, “ _Killers_?”

“Yeah…”

“So the demon wants you out there killing with your _minds_ , is that it? Come on, give us a break. _You're not a murderer, Sam_!” Dean snapped, “You don't have it in your bones.”

“ _No_ ? Last I checked, _I kill all kinds of things_.”

Angel leaned in so Sam met her eye, “Sammy, the things you've killed were _evil_ and they were murdering innocent people. That's the difference between you and them, Sam. You dont murder people and you arent evil. Not even a little bit. I've raised you since you were a baby, _i think i would know_.”

Sam stared at her for a long minute before he nodded, his eyes still sad. Dean's jaw clenched at the pain in Sam as he looked away and out of the window. Andy exited a house, wearing pajamas and a long satin robe embroidered with dragons.

“Got him.”

A half naked woman in a second-story window waved to Andy, who promptly blew her a kiss. Andy greeted a man on the street, who smiled at him and handed over his coffee. Further along, Andy greeted Dr. Jennings and shook his hand.

“That's him.” Sam sat up, “That older guy, that's him, that's the shooter.”

“Alright, Sam come on. We’ll keep on him.” Angel instructed as she got out of the car, “Dean, you stick with Andy.”

Sam got out after her and they followed Dr. Jennings on foot. Andy got in his van and drove off, Dean following in his car. A few minutes later, Andy stopped on the street and got out of the van, walking back to Dean, who tucked his handgun into his jacket.

Andy grinned as he put his hands on the impalas door and leaned down to Dean excitedly, “Hey!”

Dean looked at his hands in disdain, “ _Hey hey_.”

“This is a _cherry_ ride.”

“Yeah.” Dean nodded, “Thanks.”

“Man, you know, the _'67_ ? Impala's _best_ year if you ask me. This is a _serious_ classic.”

“Yeah.” Dean took his hand off the gun in his jacket as he smiled, “You know, I just rebuilt her, too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, can't let a car like this one go.”

“ _Damn straight_ .” Andy slapped his shoulder excitedly before leaning in closer, “ _Hey_. Could I have it?”

Dean got out of the car with a bright smile to let Andy in the drivers side, “Sure, man!”

“Sweet!”

“Hop right in there.” Dean happily closed the door for him once he was inside, “There ya go.”

“Very nice.” Andy chuckled before waving to Dean, “Take it easy.”

Dean nodded, “Alright.”

As Andy drove off in the Impala, Dean stood in the street looking more and more confused as the seconds ticked on.

**_With Sam and Angel…_ **

On another street, Sam and Angel watched Dr. Jennings from a short distance. His cell phone rang, just like in the vision, and he answered it.

“Hello. Yeah.”

Sam saw the Blue Ridge bus approach and sent a panicked look to his sister, “We gotta do something.”

“I'll be right back. Just watch him.”

Angel crossed the street to the sporting goods store. She calmly looked around, trying to look inconspicuous, as she looked for something to create a diversion. Looking up she saw a wire that led up to the building alarm. Making sure no one was looking at her she tugged the wire causing the alarm to start blaring. Slipping outside she noticed Dr. Jennings approach the store, Sam close behind, but upon hearing the alarm he stopped. He looked around in confusion before turning and walking away.

Angel sighed in relief as she sent a thumbs up to her brother, “Well that worked, _thankfully_.”

Sam nodded in relief as well as the roar of a familiar engine caught their attention. Turning they saw Andy drive by in the Impala as he talked on his cell. Shock filled the both of them as Angel ripped her cell out of her pocket and dialed their brother quickly.

“Dean! Andy's got the Impala! Why the hell does Andy have the Impala?!”

_“I know!” Dean grumbled quickly, fumbling for an explanation, “He just sorta asked me for it and I- I let him take it.”_

“You _what_ ?” She squeaked, sharing a look with Sam, “What do you mean you _let_ him take it?”

_“He full-on Obi-Wanned me. It's mind control, Angel!”_

Angel looked up when Sam grasped her arm, just as Dr. Jennings walked in front of a bus, which slammed into him at full speed.

Soon, paramedics filled the block as they put Dr. Jennings into a body bag. Sam sat on the curb nearby next to Angel, who had a comforting hand on his back. 

“We kept him out of the gun store. I thought he was okay, thought he was past it, at least…” Emotion filled Sam's voice, “I should have stayed with him.”

“It's not your fault, Sammy.” Angel squeezed his shoulder, “Dean said this kid has like mind control abilities or something.” She stood him following, “Lets find him and then this Andy kid and end this crap.”

**SECTION TWO**

As Angel, Sam and Dean walked around a corner they saw the Impala across the street.

“Thank god!” Dean ran over to it in relief, “Oh. I'm sorry, baby. _I'll never leave you again_.” His eyes swept over the impala checking for any dents or scratches before he motioned to the inside, “Well, at least he left the keys in it.”

“Yeah.” Sam scoffed, “Real _Samaritan_ , this guy.”

“Okay, well I'm thinking this guy can't work his mojo just by _twitching his nose_. He's gotta use verbal commands.” Angel said as she crossed her arms, “Our vic had just gotten off his cell phone when he stepped in front of that bus so maybe Andy called him or something.”

“I don't know.” Dean frowned, “ _Maybe_.”

Sam bulked at him, “ _Beg your pardon_?”

Dean shook his head, “I just don't know if he's our guy, Sam.”

Sam bristled, “Dean, you had O.J. convicted before he got out of his white Bronco and you have doubts about _this_?”

“He just doesn't seem like the _stone-cold killer type_ , that's all.” Dean pointed at his brother, “And O.J. was _guilty_!”

Sam rolled his eyes before turning to his sister, “What do you think Ang?”

“I think… we need to track this guy down first and then go from there.” She put her hands on her hips, “Any idea how to find him?”

Dean thought for a second before smirking, “Not a problem.”

On another street, the Winchesters approached Andy’s blue van from the back.

“Not exactly an inconspicuous ride.” Dean pulled a small crowbar out of his jacket , “Let's have a look.”

He pried open the back door revealing a disco ball, fur rugs, a tiger painted on the wall, several thick books, and an enormous bong.

“Oh.” Dean chuckled as he looked around, “Oh, _come on_ . This is… this is _magnificent_ , that's what this is.”

“Okay, i wouldnt call it magnificent. Piggish is a definite description though.” Angel corrected, sending a look to Sam, “Wither way, its not exactly a serial killer's lair.”

“There's no… clown paintings on the walls, or scissors stuck in victims' photos.” Dean agreed, motion to the side of the van with a smirk, “I like the tiger.”

“ _Hegel, Kant, Wittgenstein_?” Sam said as he looked through the books, “That's some pretty heavy reading, guys.”

“Yeah, and uh…” Dean cleared his throat as he picked up the massive bong, “ _Moby Dick's bong_.”

**_In a vacant lot…_ **

Angel, Dean and Sam sat in the parked Impala watching Andys van. Dean sat beside Angel in the front as he ate something in a foil wrapper and as Sam studied a stack of papers in the back.

“ _Ugh_.” Dean groaned as he tossed the wrapper aside, “You know, one day I'd love to just sit down and eat something I didn't have to microwave at a minimart.”

“What I don't get is the _motive_ .” Sam ignored him, “I mean, the doctor was _squeaky clean_ , why would Andy waste him?”

“ _If_ it is Andy.”

Sam scoffed, “Dude, _enough_.”

“What?”

“ _The doctor was mind-controlled in front of a bus_ . Andy just _happens_ to have the power of mind control. _You do the math_.”

“I just don't think the guy's got it in him, that's all.”

“How would you even _know_ , Dean?” Angel looked over at him curiously, “What's got you bending over backwards in defense for this kid?”

“‘Cause you guys aren't right about this.”

Sam bristled even more, “About _Andy_?”

Andy appeared suddenly at Angels open window, slamming his hands down and leaning in, “Hey! You think I haven't seen you three? _Why are you following me_?”

The last sentence reverberates strangely, stunning Angel and Dean.

Sam looked over at the kid from the middle, calmly, “Well, we're _lawyers_. See, a relative of yours has passed aw-”

“ _Tell the truth_!”

“That's what I'm-”

“We hunt _demons_ .” Dean interjected quickly, unable to stop himself, “ _Demons and spirits_. Things your worst nightmares wouldn't even touch.”

Andy's eyebrows shot up, “ _What_?”

Sam swung to look at his brother incredulously, “ _Dean_!”

“Sam here, he's our brother.” Angel tensely sputtered out after him, unable to stop herself, “He's psychic. Kind of like you. Well, not really like you-”

“Angel!” Sam looked to her in shock next, “Shut up!”

“I'm trying…” She strained out as her entire body went tense, “See, he thinks you're a murderer, and he's afraid that he's going to become one himself, 'cause you're all part of something that's terrible.”

“We both hope to hell that he's wrong.” Dean interjected just as tensely, “But, personally, I'm starting to get a little scared that he might be right.”

“Okay, you know what?” Andy took in another shaky breath before using his power again, “ _Just leave me alone_.”

Dean nodded, “Okay.”

Andy looked to Angle, “Alright?”

She nodded as her eyes went wide, “Yeah.”

When he walked away Angel and Dean both held their head with a cringe, groaning in pain. Sam hurriedly got out of the car and followed after Andy.

“What are you doing? Look, I- I said _leave me alone_ .” Andy tried his power again on Sam when he noticed he got out of the car, “Alright? _Get out of here, just start driving and never stop_.”

Sam held his arms out, “Doesn't seem to work on me, Andy.”

“ _What_?”

“You can make people do things, can't you? _You can tell them what to think_.”

Sam held up a hand to his siblings, warning them not to come closer, when he noticed they both had gotten out of the car

“Look, tha-” Andy laughed tensely, “ _That's crazy_.”

“It all started about a year ago, didn't it? After you turned twenty-two. Little stuff at first, and then you got better at controlling it.”

“How do you know all this?”

“ _Because the same thing happened to me_ , Andy. My mom died in a fire, too. _I have abilities too_ . You see, we're _connected_ , you and me.”

“You know what? Just- just- just _get out of here_ !” He desperately tried his power again, “ _Alright_?!”

“ _Why did you tell the doctor to walk in front of a bus_?”

“ _What_?!”

Sam got a vision just then- _a flash of fire, and a hand holding a gas pump_. He cringed as the vision continued in pieces as he tried to focus on Andy.

“ _Why did you kill him_?”

“I _didn't_!”

Sam cringed again as the vision hit with full force:

_Outside of a gas station a middle-aged blond woman with leather gloves and a long black coat pumped gas into an SUV. Her cell phone rang and she answered._

_“Hello?” The woman sees a flash of fire in her brain as she gets a command, “Sure. I can do that.”_

_After hanging up the phone she leaned into the car and pressed down the cigarette lighter. She pulled out the gas pump and started drenching herself in gasoline._

_“Hey!” A gas station employee across the way yelled upon seeing her, “Lady, what are you doing?!”_

_The woman pulled the cigarette lighter out and stepped into the open, holding her arms out._

_“It's gonna be okay.”_

_“Lady, no!” The man yelled as she lowered the cigarette lighter to her drenched arm, “No!”_

_She burst into flames as the man watched in horror._

**SECTION THREE**

Sam held his hands to his head as he started to fall. Angel and Dean ran over to catch him and lowered him gently to the asphalt.

Worry filled Angel, “Sammy?”

“What is it?” Dean asked, “What do you see?”

Andy backed up a few feet, “Look, I didn't do anything to him.”

“A woman.” Sam groaned, “A woman burning alive.”

“What else?” Angel pressed, “You get any details?”

“A gas station, a woman is gonna kill herself.

“What does he mean, _going to_?” Andy knelt down beside them, “What is he- what is-”

Deans eyes snapped to his, “Shut up!”

“What happened, Sam?” Angel squeezed his shoulder gently, “How?”

“She gets triggered by a call on her cell.”

“When?”

“I don't know.” He let Angel and Dean help him stand as he glared directly at Andy, “But as long as we keep our eyes on this son of a bitch he can't hurt her.”

“I didn't hurt anybody!”

“Yeah, _not yet_ .” A fire engine roared past them, sirens blaring, and they all turned to watch it before Sam looked to his siblings, “ _Go_.”

Angel and Dean ran off to follow the siren as Andy tried to step past Sam.

He stopped him with a hand on his chest, “No, not you. You're staying here with me.”

**_At the gas station…_ **

As the firemen put out the fire Dean called Sam on his cell, “She's dead. Burned up, just like you said.”

_“When?”_

“Like _minutes_ before we got here! I mean the smell hasn't even cleared. What's up with your visions, man? This wasn't even a head start.”

_“I don't know, alright? I can't control them, I don't know what the hell is going on.”_

“Listen, you were with Andy when this whole thing went down, so it- it can't be him, it's gotta be somebody else doing this.”

_“That doesn't make any sense.”_

“What else is new? We'll dig around here, see what else we can find.”

**_Back at the vacant lot…_ **

Andy looked at Sam from across the abandoned truck they sat on, “So you get these _premonitions_ of people about to _die_?” Sam nodded, “That's impossible.”

Sam laughed, “A lot of people would say the same thing about what _you_ do.”

“But… _death visions_?

“Yeah.”

“Dude, _that sucks_ . I mean, like, when I got _my_ mind thing? It was like a _gift_ , you know, it was- _it was like I won the Lotto_.”

“But you still live in a _van_ .” Sam raised a questioning brow, “I don't get it, I mean, you could… have _anything_ you ever wanted.”

“I mean…” Andy frowned, “I- I got everything I _need_.”

Sam studied him, “So… you're really not a killer, huh?”

He laughed, “That's what I've been trying to tell you!”

“That's good.” Sam relaxed a bit, offering a smile, “ _Means there's hope for both of us_.”

Angel and Dean pulled up in the Impala just then making the boys stand.

“Our vic’s name was Holly Beckett.” Angel said as they got out of the car, “ _Forty one and single_.”

Sam turned to Andy, “Who is she?”

He shook his head, “Never heard of her.”

“Called Ash on the way over here.” Dean continued, “He came up with a little something. _Apparently_ Holly Beckett gave birth when she was eighteen years old, _back in 1983_.” Dean's eyes pierced Andys, “Same day you were born, Andy.”

Sam's eyes widened, “Andy, were you adopted?”

“Well… yeah.”

“And what?” Angel crossed her arms, “You just _neglected_ to mention that?”

“Never really came up.” Andy shrugged her off, “I mean, I- I never knew my birth parents, and _like you said_ my adopted mom died when I was a baby…” He looked between them with a frown but almost hopeful eyes, “Do you, do you think this Holly woman could actually be my m-”

“We don't know.” Angel sighed, “We tried to get a copy of the birth records, but they're hard copy only. _Sealed in the county office_.”

Andy rolled his eyes, “Well, _screw that_.”

**_At the county records office…_ **

As Angel, Sam and Dean went through the boxes of files, Andy walked an elderly security guard to the door.

“Probably shouldn't have let you kids in here…”

“No, it'll all be fine. Alright? Just go get a cup of coffee.” As he walked the guard out, he continued in a dramatic voice, “ _These aren't the droids you're looking for_.”

Dean grinned at the reference, “ _Awesome_.”

“I got it.” Sam called, “Andy, it's true. Holly Beckett _was_ your birth mother.”

“Huh…” Andy went pale as he let out a breath, “Does anyone have a Vicodin?”

“Dr. Jennings was her doctor, too…” Sam continued, “I mean, he oversaw the adoption. You have a solid connection to both of them.”

“Yeah, but I- I didn't _kill_ them.”

Dean's face softened, “We believe you.”

Angel agreed, “Yeah. Question is…” She looked back to her brothers, “ _Who did_?”

“I think I got a pretty good guess.” Sam looked up grimly, “ _Holly Beckett gave birth to twins_.”

Andy sat with both hands on his head, staring straight ahead in shock, “ _I have an evil twin_.”

“Holly put you and your brother up for adoption.” Sam explained as he read, “And you went to the Gallagher family, obviously, and your brother went to the Weems family from upstate.”

“Andy…” Angel sat next to him with soft eyes when she noticed how freaked he was, “How you doin'? Still with us?”

“Um…” He put his hands down and looked back over to Sam, “What was my brother's name?”

“Um, _Ansen Weems_ , and he's got a local address.”

“He- _he lives here_?”

“Let's get a look at him. Got his picture coming off from the DMV right now.” Dean said as he pulled some papers out of the printer and looked at them in surprise, “Hate to kick you while you're freaked.” Andy gave a whuf, “Take a look at that.”

He showed one of the pages to Andy, who looked up in shock as he recognized the man as Weber from the coffee shop.

**_Later on…_ **

Dean drove the Impala down a dark road with Sam next to him and Andy in the back seat with Angel.

“Alright, Andy.” Angel looked over at him, “Tell us everything you know about this guy.”

“Well, I mean, not _much_ . I… Weber shows up one day, _eight_ months ago? Acting like he's my best friend in the world. Kinda _weird_ , like, _trying too hard_ , you know?”

Sam started to cringe and rub his eyes as Dean nodded, “Must have known you guys were twins. Why did he change his name? Why not just tell you the truth?”

“No idea.”

Sam groaned in pain as flashes of another vision slam into him:

_On a bridge, the woman from the diner, Tracy, wore only satin lingerie as she walked slowly to the side of a ravine. Crying, she climbed onto the ledge and looked around. After a pause, she looked back before leaping to her death._

Sam yelled in panic as he struggled with the door.

“Sam? Sam!”

“Sam!”

Dean quickly stopped the car as Sam shoved the door open and leaned out. Angel and Dean were immediately out as well and kneeling beside him worriedly.

“Hey.” Dean grabbed his shoulders, “Hey!”

**SECTION FOUR**

Weber drove onto the bridge from Sam’s vision and pulled to a stop with Tracy in the passenger's seat. 

“I take my ladies here. They like it.” He ran a hand slowly up her thigh, “Well, I mean, _I_ like it, so… _of course they do too_.”

“Please.” Tracy cried, “I just wanna go home.”

“ _Stop crying_ .” Weber demanded with his power and she obeyed, “Hey. _I get it_ . I see what you see in Andy, I mean, he's a _genius_ . Books he reads? He's gonna be a great man someday, but he’s _my_ family, _not yours_ . You can't have him. You're not gonna have _anything_ after tonight.

**_Back with the Winchesters…_ **

Near the bridge, the Impala pulled to a stop and the Winchesters got out and circled around to the trunk, which Dean opened.

Sam turned to them worriedly, “You guys should stay back.”

Angel nodded in agreement, “Oh, no argument here, Sammy.”

“Yeah.” Dean scoffed, “Had my head screwed with enough for one day.”

Sam pulled out two handguns, but as he walked forward he was stopped by Andy.

“I'm coming with you.”

Sam shook his head, “Andy, _no_.”

“If it's Tracy out there…” Worry filled Andy's eyes before conviction, “ _Then I'm coming_.”

**_Back at Webers car…_ **

Crying again, Tracy began unbuttoning her dress as Weber watched.

“Okay. _Slower_ .” Weber commanded, “Tracy, I want you to listen to me _very_ carefully, okay? When we're done here, _I want you to head over to the edge of the dam_. Okay?”

She nodded, “Okay.”

“And when you get there, you're gonna think you can fly…” His voice deepened as he used his power, “ _And you're just gonna step right off_ . You- you can _fly_ , can't you?”

Tracy sobbed, “Yeah. I think so.”

“You might get scared, but I want you to say that it's okay.” Tracy sobbed harder as he used his power again, “Just tell yourself, _everything is okay_.”

The window behind Weber’s head shattered just before Sam shoved a handgun in his face, “Get out of the car! _Now_!”

Weber tried his power, “ _You really don't want to do this_.”

Sam backhanded him, hard. On the other side of the car, Andy opened the door and pulled Tracy out.

“Tracy! Come here, come here. It's okay.”

“Andy! I can't!” Tracy cried, “I couldn't control myself!”

Sam opened Weber’s door and pulled him out of the car. He pinned him face down over the pavement with the gun aimed at his head.

“Don't move. _Don't move_!”

Andy ran over to them and shoved a strip of duct tape over Weber’s mouth. He reared back and kicked Weber twice, furious. 

“No!” Sam pushed him back, “ _No_ , Andy, let me handle this, alright?”

Andys eyes blazed as he glared at Weber, “I'm gonna _kill_ you!”

“ _No_ ! I'll handle this, _I'll handle this_!”

“ _I will kill you_!”

“Andy! Listen to me! _Listen to me_!”

Weber stared at Tracy for a second before she picked up a large stick and hit Sam on the back of the neck with it. He fell down, unconscious. 

Andy turned to her as Weber stood up, “Tracy, stop!” She was about to bring the thing down on Sam again so Andy was forced to use his power, “I said _STOP IT_!”

She dropped the stick and backed away, terrified. 

Andy turned back to Weber, who pulled the duct tape off his mouth, “How did you do that?”

“ _Practice_ , bro. If you'd just _practice_ , you would know. Sometimes you don't need to use your words. If you have to…” Weber tapped his forehead, “All you need is _this_. Sometimes the headache's worth it.”

Andy grabbed him, “You're a twisted son of a bitch!”

“ _Back off,_ Andy. Or Tracy's gonna do a little flying.” Andy turned in horror to see Tracy standing on the ledge, “Aren't you, Trace?” He looked back to Andy with a smirk, “I'm stronger than you. _I can do it_.”

“Okay, okay.” Andy backed away with his hands raised, “Okay. Alright, just… just _please_ don't hurt her.”

“Don't be mad at me, okay? I know, it's- it's all _wrong_ . I didn't mean for this to happen, it's just… _Tracy_? She's trying to come between us.”

“You're _insane_.”

“She's _garbage_ ! Man, _they all are_ ! We can, we can _push_ them, _we can make them do whatever we want_!”

“Are you really… _are you really this stupid_? Is it-”

“Wha-”

“I mean, you, you learn you've got a twin…” As Andy spoke, Sam started coming too, “You call him up, _you go out for a drink_ , you don't start _killing_ people!”

“I've wanted to tell you for _so long_ , bro, but he didn't let me. He said I had to wait until the time was-”

“ _Who_?”

“ _The man with the yellow eyes_.”

“What are you _talking_ about?”

“He came to me. In my dream. _He said I was special_ . He told me he's got _big_ plans for me. Wait 'till you see what's in store, Andy, for both of us! See, _he's_ the one who told me that… I had a brother. _A twin_.”

Within shooting distance, Angel and Dean stalked to two different hiding places with sniper rifles.

“Why did you kill our mother? _Why_ ? And _why_ Dr. Jennings?”

“ _Because they split us up_ ! They _ruined_ our lives, Andy! We could have been _together_ this whole time. _Instead of alone_ . I couldn't- I couldn't let 'em do that, I couldn't let them get away with that. _No_.”

On one side, Angel crouched in the shadows and lined up the shot as Dean did the same from his side.

Weber turned when he heard something, peering into the distance right into Deans hiding place.

“I see you. _Bye-bye_.”

Dean turned the rifle up and tucked the barrel under his chin right before a gunshot went off. Weber jerked back from Andy shooting him in the back. Andy lowered the gun with shaking hands at what he'd done.

**SECTION FIVE**

**_The next morning on the bridge…_ **

Rescue and police crews filled the scene. Andy talked to three police officers, his stance confident. Sam was crouching by a wall, a paramedic tending to his shoulder as Angel and Dean stood by his side. 

“He shot himself.” Andy said as he used his power, “ _And you all saw it happen_.”

“Yeah… We did.”

“Look at him.” Sam commented as the three of them observed, “He's getting better at it.”

Aandy passed an ambulance where Tracy was sitting, a blanket around her shoulders. She avoided his eyes as Andy approached the Winchesters.

“She won't even look at me.”

“I mean… she's pretty shaken up.” Angle shrugged as she studied the girl, “Maybe just give her some time. She did almost die.”

“No, it's… this is different. It's, uh, I never- I never used my mind thing on her before… _before last night_ . She's _scared_ of me now.”

“Hey, Andy, I hate to do this, but um…” Sam frowned, “We have to get out of here. _Here_.” He handed over a piece of paper, “I wrote down my cell. You don't have to be alone in this, alright? If anything comes up, just call me.”

Andy looked between them with wide eyes, “Wha- what am I supposed to do now?”

“You be _good_ , Andy.” Dean motioned with a serious face, “Or we'll be back.”

Sam sighed as they walked away, “Looks like I was right.”

Angel looked up at him, “About what?”

“ _Andy_. He's a killer after all.”

“No, he's a _hero_ .” Dean corrected quickly, “He saved his girlfriend's life, _he saved my life_.”

“ _Bottom line,_ last night, he _wasted_ somebody.”

“There's no _bottom line_ , Sam.” Angel snapped back, “Andy isn't some _foaming-at-the-mouth psycho murderer_ . He was just, he was _pushed_ into doing something he had to do. That's all.”

“ _Weber_ was pushed too, in his own way. _Max Miller_ was pushed. Hell, _I was pushed by Jessica's death_.”

“Oh my god, Sam-”

“I’m just saying, in the right circumstances, _everyone's_ capable of murder. _Everyone_ . You know, maybe that's what the demon's doing. _Pushing_ us. Finding ways to _break_ us.”

“Sam, we don't know what the demon wants, okay?” Dean tried to dismiss him, “Quit worrying about it.”

“You know what? I _heard_ you guys before, Dean, when Andy made you tell the truth. _You two are just as scared of this as I am_.”

“That was mind control! I mean, it's like- like, that's like being _roofied_ , man, _that doesn't count_.”

“What?”

“No. I'm- I'm calling _do-over_.”

“Yeah, a _do-over_ is totally in order here, Sammy.”

“What are you two, _seven_?”

“Look, none of that matters.” Angel dismissed, “What we’re going to do is keep our heads up and continue doing what we're doing. _We’re going to find that evil son of a bitch and kill it_.”

“Yeah…” Sam frowned as his voice became doubtful, “I guess…”

Angel sighed when her phone rang before picking it up, “Hello? Ellen… What's going on?” The boys turned to her once she got in the impala and stiffened at whatever Ellen was saying on the other line, “Yeah, we'll be right there.”

**_At the Roadhouse…_ **

Angel, Sam and Dean all sat at the bar, Ellen behind it as Jo walked around the outside.

“Jo?”

“Hm?”

“Go pull up another case of beer.”

Her shoulders fell, “Mom…”

“ _Now_ .” She demanded before softening her voice, “Please.” As she left, Ellen leaned on the bar in front of the Winchesters, “ _So_. You uh, you want to tell me about this last hunt of yours?” 

“Not really.” Angel dismissed before taking a sip of her beer, “No offense Ellen, it's just kind of a family thing.”

“Not anymore.” She dropped a stack of papers on the bar, “I got this stuff from Ash.” 

She looked between the three of them curiously. Angel raised a brow, her face blank of any emotion. Dean glared as his jaw tensed. Sam looked away quickly, not wanting to meet her eyes.

“Andrew Gallagher's house burnt down on his six month birthday, just like _your_ house. You think it was the demon both times, don't you? You think it went after Gallagher's family?”

Dean tensed from beside Sam who kept his eyes trained on his beer but they both turned in shock when Angel answered her, “We think so.”

Dean's eyes blazed, “ _Angel_.”

Angel met his glare with one of her own, “She could _help_.”

Ellen earned the eldests attention again, “Why?”

Dean snapped at her again, “ _None of your business_.”

This time Ellen's eyes snapped to his, matching his glare like Angel did, “You mind your tongue with me, boy. This isn't just _your_ war, _this is war_ . Now, something big and bad's coming and it's coming _fast_ , and _their_ side holds all the cards. Now, at _best_ all we got is _us_ . _Together_ . No _secrets_ or _half-truths_ here.”

The three of them shared a look, Angel motioning to her brothers that she was right but Dean still looked like he didn't think bringing her into this was a good idea.

Sam explained anyway, “There are people out there, like _Andy Gallagher_ , like _me_.” He looked pained, embarrassed even, “And um… we all have some kind of ability.”

“ _Ability_?”

“Yeah. _Psychic_ ability.” As Sam explained Dean rolled his eyes yet again, extremely uncomfortable, “ _Me_ , I have, um, I have visions. _Premonitions_ .” She shreds a tight look with Angel and Dean at Sam's words, “I don't know, it- it's different for everybody. The demon said he had _plans_ for people like us.”

Ellen pressed, “What kind of plans?”

Angel sighed after taking another long drag from her bottle, “We don't know that yet.”

“These people out there, these _psychics,_ they dangerous?”

“No.” Dean answered quickly, sending a protective look to Sam, “Not all of them.”

“But _some_ are.” Sam countered hurriedly, “Some are _very_ dangerous.”

“Okay, how many of them are we looking at?”

“We've been able to track a clear pattern so far.” Angel explained further looking to Sam, “They've all had house fires on the night of the kid's six month birthday.”

Sam countered, “That's not true.”

Dean's head snapped to his, “ _What_?”

Angels did as well, “ _Excuse me_?”

Sam looked down as he fiddled with his hands, “Weber? Or Ansen Weems, or _whatever_ his name is… I looked at his files, and there was _no_ house fire. There's nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Which breaks pattern.” Ellen's voice cut through Angel and Dean's shock, “So if there's any others like _him_ , there'd be nothing in the system. No way to track 'em all down.”

Dean scoffed, “And so who knows how many of 'em are really out there?”

Jo stood behind them, trying to listen and Ellen called to her, “Jo honey?”

“Yeah?”

  
“You'd better break out the _whiskey_ instead.”


	6. No Exit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel, Sam and Dean investigate the brutal slayings of blond women from an apartment building and discover the demon responsible is the ghost of the first serial murderer, H. H. Holmes. Meanwhile, defying her mother's wishes, Jo follows the Winchesters on their hunt.

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

**WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

**_Harvelle’s Roadhouse…_ **

As the Winchesters put their bags in the trunk of the impala Dean smirked, “ _Los Angeles, California_.”

Sam looked over, “What's in L.A.?”

“Young girl's been kidnapped by an evil cult.”

“Yeah? Girl got a name?”

“ _Katie Holmes_.”

Sam chuckled as he looked at his brother from across the Impala, “Funny.”

“For _you_ though?” Angel cocked an eyebrow as she smiled beside Sam, “Just a _tad_ bitchy.”

From inside the roadhouse came the sounds of breaking glass as Ellen and Jo shouted at each other.

“Over my dead body!”

“You’re flipping out over nothing!”

“Of course, on the other hand…” Dean turned from the roadhouse back to his sibling with a shrug, “ _Catfight_.”

He and Sam rushed to the door earning a groan from Angel, “This isn't any of our busine- boys, _boys_!”

Rolling her eyes she hurried and cautiously followed her brothers into the Roadhouse where Ellen and Jo were shouting at each other on the upper levels.

Ellen threw down a case with glass bottles in it angrily and Jo scoffed, “Be reasonable mom!”

“I am your _mother!_ ” Ellen screamed back, “I don't have to be _reasonable_!”

Jo bellowed back just as angry, “ _You can't keep me here_!”

  
Ellen scoffed, walking away from her and down the stairs, “Oh, don't you bet on _that_ , sweetie.”

Jo followed her, “What are you going to do, _are you going to chain me up in the basement_?”

“You know what, you've had _worse_ ideas than _that_ recently.” Ellen began slamming down chairs that were on the table, “Hey, you don't wanna stay, _don't stay_. Go back to school.”

“I didn't belong there! I was a freak with a knife collection!”

Angel looked between them as she bit her lip and came to stand between her brothers, “I think maybe we should-”

Ellen's voice boomed over hers, screaming at Jo, “Yeah, and getting yourself killed on some dusty back road, _that's_ where you belong?!” 

She finally turned and saw the Winchesters watching them with wide eyes. Jos' eyes also shifted behind her mother to peer over at them, some kind of plan forming in her eyes.

Ellen blew out a breath, “ _Bad_ time.”

Sam nodded, waving awkwardly then sending a pleading look to his siblings signaling for them to leave, “Yes, ma'am.”

“Uh…” Angel nodded quickly as she pointed behind herself to the door, “We were actually just heading out.”

“Yeah.” Dean cleared his throat offering a smile, “We rarely drink before ten anyway.” 

They turned to walk out the door, but Jo stopped them all from leaving, “ _Wait_.” She stepped around the tables storming over to the three of them, “I wanna know what they think about this.”

A mom, a dad, and two kids under three, all wearing bright yellow t-shirts that read ‘ _Nebraska is for Lovers_ ’ entered as Ellen scoffed and yelled, “I don't care what they think!”

The father looked them over, clearly oblivious to the tension, “Are you guys open?”  
  
Jo screamed, “No!” 

Ellen bellowed at the same time, “Yes!” 

He looked around, chuckling nervously, before hurriedly motioning to his family, “We'll just… check out the Arby's down the road.”

Angel tried to hide a laugh, as did the boys, as they all scurried out quickly. Once they left the phone rang and Jo glared at it, not moving, before turning that glare on her mother.

Ellen rolled her eyes and stalked over to it, “Harvelle's.” She took a steadying breath, “Yeah, Preacher.”

Jo quickly retrieved the folder coming over to the three of them and handing it out to Dean, whom she was closest to out of the three, “Three weeks ago a young girl disappeared from a Philadelphia apartment.” When Dean just studied her closely, unsure of what to do, she shoved it at him, “ _Take it_ , it won't bite.”   
  


Dean sent a look to Angel who motioned for him to drop it so he did, motioning to where her mom was standing, “ _No_ , but your mom might.” 

Jo pinched her lips, still holding out the folder to him. Her pleading eyes got to him, and against his better judgement Dean grabbed it, glaring as he did so.

“And this girl wasn't the first.” Jo explained further, “Over the past eighty years _six_ women have vanished. _All from the same building, all young blondes_ . Only happens every decade or two so cops never eyeball the pattern. So we're either dealing with one _very_ old serial killer, or-”

“Who put this together?” Angel asked as she looked at all of the information Dean was flipping through from beside him, “ _Ash_?”

A smile played on Jo’s lips at the comparison, “I did it myself.”

Dean looked from the folder to her impressed, “ _Hmm_.”

“Gotta admit…” Sam leaned in from the other side of Angel with a shrug, “We’ve hit the road for less.”

With an eye roll, Angel snaked the folder from Dean with a quickness earning his eye, and sent Jo a dismissive eye, “Look, I like you, Jo… You seem like a nice kid, but you have _lost_ your marbles if you think the three of us are waging war on your mom by taking you on this case.” Jo pouted and was about to start to argue, but was dismissed by Angel yet again, “No, I'm _serious_ . She doesn't seem the least bit interested in letting you on a hunting case. _Least of all with us_.”

After finishing her phone call Ellen walked back over to them, her voice very matter of fact, “You three think there's somethin’ there then _you_ take the case.” 

Jo turned and stomped her foot like a child, “Mom!”

Ellen glared, “ _Joanna Beth_ , this family has lost enough. And I _won't_ lose you too.” Sadness took over her eyes, and tears threatened to spillover as she sent the look to Angel who couldn't keep the eye contact, “ _I just won't._ ”

“Alright.” Angel nodded at Ellen's look then motioned to her brothers, “Let's go, boys.”

**_In Philadelphia…_ **

The impala roared into town and Dean parked it quickly in front of the apartment building in the file. The three of them had slipped quickly and quietly into the building and to the room without any problems. Sam quickly picked the lock to the apartment door the young lady died in and the three of them shuffled inside.

Sam looked around, studying the place intently before pulling out his EMF reader, “I feel kind of bad, snaking Jo's case.”

“Yeah, maybe she put together a good file.” Dean countered as he walked around Sam, followed by Blair, “But could you see her out here working one of these things?” He shook his head, “I don't think so.” 

“We don't need the heat from Ellen anyway.” Angel frowned as she checked around with her own EMF as well, “She's already putting herself, Jo _and_ the Roadhouse in danger by helping us with the demon. The last thing we need is to bring her daughter, an eager _wet-behind-the-ears_ new hunter, on a case where she gets hurt, _or worse_.” She looked at her brothers, “You guys getting anything?”

Dean shook his head from a few feet away, “No.”

“Not yet.” Sam answered as well but as he ran his reader over the light switch, it purred, and he leaned over to survey some odd goop that was seeping out of it, “What's _that_?”

Dean looked from Sam to the wall before walking over with Angel, “What?”

Sam touched the goo, recognition causing shock immediately, “ _Holy crap_.”

Angel scoffed and shook her head as she touched it to survey it closely, “That's freakin _ectoplasm_ isn't it?”

Dean touched it as well then smirked, “Well, I think I know what we're dealing with here.” The two of them looked at his serious and freaked out face, “ _It's the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man_.”

Angel rolled her eyes with Sam, “Idiot.”

Sam pressed on, “Guys, I've only seen this stuff, like, _twice_. I mean… to make this stuff you have to be one majorly pissed off spirit.”

“He's right.” Angel nodded, “This isn't your average pissed off spirit. This things gonna have some _serious_ mojo.”

“Alright.” Dean nodded, then motioned, “Let's find this badass before he snags any more girls.”

The three of them exited the apartment and walked down the hallway. Hearing voices they immediately pressed themselves to the wall and hid around the corner.

A woman's voice was heard, oddly familiar, “It's so convenient.”

“Yeah, it's a great building.” Then a man's, the landlords, “Fixed up real nice. All the apartments come furnished, too.”

“It is so spacious. You know, my friend told me I absolutely have to come check it out, and I have to admit that she was right. You did a really good job with this place.”

But as Angel listened in she realized that voice belonged to the one and only Jo.

She stepped out before Dean could grab her and glared at the blonde, “ _Jo_? What the hell are you doing here?”

“There you guys are.” Jo came over smiling and grabbed Dean around the waist, who looked more than a little shocked as did Angel and Sam, she turned back to the landlord's surprised face, “This is my boyfriend Dean, his buddy Sam and his older sister Angel.”

Angel looked at her like she had completely lost her marbles but the landlord smiled, commenting before Angel had the chance too, “Good to meetcha.” He turned to Dean instantly shaking his hand, “Quite a gal you've got here.”

“Oh, yeah…” Dean chuckled, smacking Jo in the ass and earning a death glare before he put his arm around her shoulders, “She's a _pistol_.”

“ _So_ , did you already check out that apartment?” Jo asked, then pressed on at their blank looks, “ _The one for rent_.”

Dean jumped when she elbowed him in the ribs but answered quickly, clearing his throat, “Yeah. _Yes_ . Loved it. Heh. _Great flow_.”

The landlord eyed all of them, “How'd you get in?”  
  


Angel cleared her throat, waving him off and giving him a charming smile, “Oh, it was open, so we just thought we’d take a quick peek and see if it was a right fit for my little brother here.”

Jo nodded before earning his attention again, “Now, Ed, um, when did the last tenant move out?”

“Oh, about a month ago. Cut and run, too. _Stiffed me for the rent_.”

“Well. Her loss, our gain!” Jo grinned brightly, “'Cause if Dean-o loves it, then it's good enough for me.”

Dean grins tightly down at her as well, before smacking her in ass again, “Oh, _sweetie_.”

Jo quickly took out a wad of cash surprising the three others and handed it over to the landlord who happily accepted, “We'll take it.”

**_In the apartment…_ **

When they entered the apartment no one spoke. A long silence stretched, long enough for the boys to get their stuff from the impala and for the three of them to begin cleaning their guns as Jo fiddled around with her paperwork. Dean and Sam kept sending anxious glances to their uncharacteristically quiet sister, knowing she was pissed Jo was here. They could tell just by her body language and the effort she was taking at not acknowledging Jo. 

Angel was pretty good at controlling her temper most of the times but there were times that she blew up like John. A trait they shared. They were just waiting for her to read Jo the riot act, much like she used to, and still does, with them. Both of them just assumed she was trying to calm her temper so she didn’t unleash it all on Jo.

Finally, unable to let the silence stretch any longer, Jo finally broke it as she looked to the three of them, “I'll flip you guys for the sofa?”

Dean cocked his gun back into place as he watched Angel stiffen from beside him.

She slammed her gun back on the table glaring at Jo, “You think this is _funny_?” She scoffed, “Does Ellen even know where the hell you are?”

Jo rolled the file in her hands, “Told her I was going to Vegas.”

Dean shook his head, “You think she's gonna buy that?”

“I'm not an idiot.” Her eyes snapped to him, cockieness radiating from her words, like she won, “I got Ash to lay a credit card trail all the way to the casinos.”

“Jo let’s just table the fact that lying to your mother is a terrible idea, for a second. _You really shouldn’t be here_ .” Angel got up and crossed her arms glaring, “Ellen’s going to have a _stroke_ if she finds out you’re here.”

“Well, I _am_ .” She faced Angel with her determined eye which said she wasn’t going anywhere, “ _So untwist your panties and deal with it_.”

Angel raised a bored eyebrow at her as Sam shook his head, “Where'd you get all that money from, anyways?”

“ _Working_ , at the Roadhouse.”

Dean scoffed, “Hunters don't tip that well.”

“Well…” She grinned, “They aren't that good at poker, either.”

Angel's phone rang, interrupting them, and she cornered Jo with a glare, “You know this is for you, right?” She answered it gruffly as Jo stiffened, “Hello?”

_Ellen’s voice sounded curiously, “Is she with you?”_

Stress built up in Angel's neck as she pursed her lips and looked to Jo, “Oh, _hi_ Ellen.”

“ _She left a note she's in Vegas. I don't believe it for a second.”_

As Angel walked a little bit away from the boys, Jo quickly followed her. She held the phone so Ellen couldn't hear her then and angrily pointed at Jo, not wanting to have to play babysitter on top of working a hunt. She also wanted to have nothing to do with pissing Ellen off.

“I'm _telling_ her. I’m not lying about this.”

“Angel, _dont-_ ”

“No _you_ don't!

Dean and Sam watched in amusement as they had a furious muttered argument before Ellen’s voice sounded again snapping Angel back to the previous conversation.

_“Angel you still with me?”_

Angel huffed quickly, going against her better judgement when she caught Dean's eyes, “Haven't seen her.”

_“You sure about that?”_

She clenched her jaw, “Yeah, I'm sure.”

_Ellen took a breath, “Well, please. If she shows up, you'll drag her butt right back here, won't you?”_

“You betcha. You can count on me.” She laughed tightly before raising a brow Jo, “Kickin’ and screamin’.”

“ _Okay. Thanks, honey. Be safe_.” 

“Sure thing.” Angel hung up and Jo grinned at her cheerfully, she rolled her eyes, “Let's just get to work.”

And the four of them did just that. Spreading out maps, blueprints and all of Jo’s information they started going through everything they had. Sam sat at the head of the table with Jo and Angel across from each other, while Jo idly flipped around a knife in her hand. Dean paced irritatedly behind Jo with his hands in his pockets.

“This place was built in 1924.” Jo explained as she looked over her shoulder to Dean, “It was originally a warehouse, converted into apartments a few months ago.”

“Yeah?” Dean asked, looking at her, “What was here before 1924?”

“ _Nothing_. Empty field.”

“So, most likely scenario…” Sam mused, “Someone died bloody in the building, and now he's back and raising hell.”

“I already checked.” Jo dismissed, “In the past eighty two years, _zero_ violent deaths. Unless you count a janitor who slipped on a wet floor.” She irritatedly pointed her knife to Dean who halted his pacing, “Would you sit down, please?”

Dean eyed her but sat down next to her regardless as Angel sighed, “ _So_ , have you checked police reports, county death records… _all that jazz_?”

“Obituaries, mortuary reports and seven other sources.” Jo quipped, nodding to her, “Trust me, _I know what I'm doing_.”

“ _Yeah_.” She scoffed looking back to the blueprints, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

When Jo glowered from her to Dean he cocked an eyebrow, “I think the jury's still out on that one.” He motioned to the knife she was flipping around, “Could you put the knife down?”

She did, but with a glare.

“Okay!” Sam's voice boomed trying to break the tension, “So, uh, it's something _else_ , then. Maybe some kind of cursed object that brought a spirit with it.”

“Well, we've got to scan the whole building.” Jo looked between them, “Everywhere we can get to, right?”

“ _Right_.” Angel looked at her with a warning in her eyes, “You and Dean can take the top two floors while Sam and I get the bottom.”

Jo got up and stepped in her way with a frown, “We'd move faster if we split up.”

“Babe…” Angel cocked an eyebrow as she looked down at Jo with challenging eyes, “This _isn't_ negotiable.”

“I'd just listen to her.” Dean smirked, “She gets kind of bitchy when we argue.”

Angel rolled her eyes before flipping her brother off.

**_With Dean and Jo…_ **

“So…” Jo sent Dean a look as they walked down the dimly lit hallway with their EMF readers, “Which one of you is gonna buy me dinner? _You or Angel_?”

“What are you talking about?”

“It's just… _if you guys are gonna ride me this close it's only decent one of you buys me dinner_.”

“Oh, that's _hilarious_ .” Dean rolled his eyes, “You know, it's bad enough my sister lied to your mom, but if you think _I'm_ letting you out of my sight…” He shook his head dismissively, “I don't know if you've noticed, but you're kind of the spirit's type.”

“ _Exactly_.”

Dean turned to her incredulously, “You _wanna_ be bait?”

“ _Quickest way to draw it out and you know it_.”

Dean chuckled tightly, “ _Oh_.”

“What?”

“I'm _so_ regretting this.”

Jo stopped them from walking, “You know, I've had it up to _here_ with your crap.”

“ _Excuse_ me?”

“ _Your chauvinist crap_. What, you think the only woman that can do the job is your sister?”

“Sweetheart, this ain't gender studies. _Women can do the job fine_ . _Amateurs can't_ . You have _no_ experience. What you _do_ have is a bunch of _half-baked romantic notions_ that some barflies put in your head.”

She rolled her eyes, “And now you sound like my _mother_.”

“Oh, and that's a _bad_ thing?” Dean angered as he challenged her, “Because let me tell you-”

“ _What_?”

He studied her for a beat before shaking his head, “Forget it.”

“No, _you_ started this.”

“Jo, _you've_ got _options_ . No one in their right mind _chooses_ this life. My dad started me in this when I was so young…” He scoffed, “I _wish_ I could do something else. So does Angel. That's why she's riding you so hard too.”

She looked unconvinced, “You two _love_ the job.”

“Yeah, but we’re a little _twisted_.”

“You don't think _I'm_ a little _twisted_ too?”

“Jo, _you've got a mother that worries about you_ . Who wants something _more_ for you. Those are _good_ things. You don't throw things like that away. Might be hard to find later.”

They approached a grating near the floor and as Jo stood in front of it, a dark hand slid through the holes towards her legs. She turned around, gasping.

Dean looked at her, “What?”

“I'm not sure…”

He frowned, “You smell that?”

Jo sniffed as well, “What is that, a gas leak?”

“No… Something else. _I know it_ . I just can't put my finger on it.” Jo crouched by the grating and her EMF reader purred, “ _Mazel Tov_. You just found your first spirit.”

She looked up at him, “It's inside the vent.”

Dean crouched beside her, shining his flashlight inside the vent before handing it over to her, “Here.” He pulled out a screwdriver and unscrewed the grating, pulling it off the wall, “There's something in there…” He reached his arm inside, feeling around before he pulled his hand out, holding a clump of blond hair, “Somebody's keeping _souvenirs_.”

**SECTION TWO**

The next morning, Angel came out of the bedroom as she slipped on her jacket. Jo was still sitting at the table looking over their blueprints and notes as she twirled her knife. The boys had let the two of them take the bedroom but when Jo ended up staying up to go over research, Sam bunked with her. Angel looked over and smirked when she saw Dean twisted up on the recliner sleeping in what looked to be a very uncomfortable position.

“His back is gonna be _singing_ when he gets up.” She shook her head and walked over to the table, “Did you sleep at all last night?”

“Not really, no.” Jo sighed, “I’ve just been going over everything. There's a lot.”

“Yeah, but you gotta get a few hours at least.” Angel nodded as she sat down to wait for Sam, “It's important not to burn out. That's when you start missing things.” She studied the fellow blonde consideringly before cocking an eyebrow, “What's with the knife? It help you concentrate or something?”

Jo eyed her for a second before handing the knife over to her. She took it and studied it, noticing an engraving on the blade: _W.A.H._

Angel nodded and looked up to meet Jo’s eyes when she spoke, “ _William Anthony Harvelle_.”

She handed the knife back before slipping a black butterfly knife out of her back pocket and handing it over. It had the initials _J.E.W._ engraved on the blade for her father: _John Eric Winchester_.

Angel offered a friendly smile, “Guess we have something in common.”

“Yeah, guess so…” Jo quieted before she looked back over to Angel with sad eyes, “What do you… what do you remember about your dad? I mean, what's the _first_ thing that pops into your head?” A small smile came to Angel's lips but she quickly looked away from Jo at the memory and shook her head, the blonde smiled as well, “Come on, tell me.”

“I don't know…” Angel smiled at her hands as she thought about her father, “I guess it's kind of silly but… My favorite memories are of when he would have Dean and I help him fix up the Impala or the Trans Am. Everytime we did it he just went to a different place, you know? He was calmer, relaxed… _Happy_ even. Like he didn't have a care or worry in the world…” Her smile soon turned to a sad frown but she brushed it off as she looked to Jo, “What about your dad?”

“I was still in pigtails when my dad died, but…” She looked down at her hands sadly, “I remember him coming home from a hunt. He'd burst through that door like- like _Steve McQueen_ or something.” She smiled, “And he'd sweep me up in his arms, and I'd breathe in that old leather jacket of his. And my mom- _who was sour and pissed from the minute he left_ , she started _smiling_ again. And we were… we were a family.” Her sad eyes met Angels, “You guys wanna know why I want to do the job? _For him_ . It's my way of being _close_ to him. Now, tell me, what's wrong with that?”

Angel frowned as understanding filled her, “Nothing.”

Sam walked out of the bathroom just then and looked between the two sad girls curiously, “Everything… okay?”

“Yeah… yeah, we’re fine.” Angel nodded as she cleared her throat and got up, handing Sam his jacket before turning back to Jo, “We’re gonna go for coffee. You want some?”

Jo nodded, offering a small smile, “Thanks.”

Sam followed his sister out of the apartment and into the elevator, studying her curiously, “What was all that about?”

“We were just… Reminiscing about our dads.” Angel smiled at her brother's shocked expression, “Jo’s not so bad. She's got potential.”

As they walked out of the elevator he was about to comment when he was interrupted by the sounds of sirens. Cops filled the lobby, running in and out. The Winchesters shared a look before forgetting about their coffee and getting to business. After finding out some information they hurried back up to the apartment, bursting through the door and interrupting Jo and Deans conversation.

He looked between the two of them with furrowed brows, “Where's the coffee?”

“No time. There are cops outside.” Angel said grimly, “Another girl disappeared.”

**_Later on…_ **

Sam and Jo were busy studying the notes, a little more urgently than before when Dean and Angel walked back in the apartment.

“ _Teresa Ellis, Apartment 2F_.” Dean rattled off the information he just acquired, “Boyfriend reported her missing around dawn.”

Jo turned to Angel, “And her apartment?”  
  
“Cracks all over the plaster, walls, ceiling.” Angel looked from her to Sam knowingly, “There was ectoplasm, too.”

Sam scoffed, “Well, between that and that tuft of hair I'd say this sucker's coming from the walls.”

“Yeah, but _who_ is it?” Dean asked, “Building's history is totally clean.”

Jo picked up a photograph and studied it, “Maybe we're looking in the wrong place.”

Angel studied her, “What do you mean?”

“Check this out.” Jo handed her a picture of an empty field, explaining, “It's where this building was built. Take a look at the one next door. _The windows.”_

“Huh.” Angel shook her head, knowing this wasn't going to make anything easier for them in the long run, “ _Bars_.”

Dean looked at her grimly, “We're next door to a _prison_?”

A few moments later Jo walked past them as she talked on the phone with Ash, “Thanks, Ash. _And if you breathe a word of this to my mom_ ... That's right. I will. _With pliers_ .” She hung up and turned to them, looking to Angel specifically and holding up the picture she showed them earlier, “Okay. Moyamensing prison: _Built in 1835, torn down in 1963_ . And get this. _They used to execute people by hanging them in the empty field next door_.”

“Well, then…” Sam smirked, impressed, “We need a list of all the people executed there.”

She pointed to Angels laptop as her email immediately pinged, “Ash is already on it.”

Sitting in front of the computer Angel scrolled through the huge list of names he sent.

“ _Jeeze_.” Sam scoffed from behind her, “How many are there?”

“A hundred and fifty seven.” Angel answered and shook her head, “We need to narrow this down.”

“Yeah.” Dean scowled from beside her, “Or else we're gonna be digging up a hell of a lot of stiffs.”

Sam stopped her from scrolling when something caught his eye, “Wait…” He frowned, “ _Herman Webster Mudgett_?”

Jo and Angel both looked at each other before eyeing him curiously, “Yeah?”

Sam turned to Dean, grim, “Wasn't that _H. H. Holmes'_ real name?”

Dean scoffed again, “ _You've gotta be kiddin' me_.”

“Wait, like _the_ H. H. Holmes?” Sam nodded and Angel took a breath as she turned back to the computer and typed away, “Uh… Yeah well apparently Holmes was executed at Moyamensing, May 7, 1896.”

“ _H. H. Holmes himself_ .” Sam grinned and shook his head in disbelief, “Come on, I mean, _what are the odds_?”

After printing out numerous articles and pictures, Jo looked at everything spread out on the table before coming to read the article Angel had over her shoulder. 

She shook her head, “Who _is_ this guy?”

“The term ‘ _multi-murderer_ ., they coined it to describe _Holmes_ .” Dean explained, “He was America's first serial killer, _before anybody knew what a serial killer was_.”

“Yeah…” Sam nodded, “He confessed to _twenty seven murders_ , but some put the death toll at over a _hundred_.”

Angel turned from the laptop to Jo grimly, “And his victim flavor of choice? _Pretty petite blondes_ . He used chloroform to kill them.” She motioned to Dean, “Which is probably what you guys smelled in the hallway last night. At his place, cops found human remains, bone fragments, and long locks of bloody blonde hair.” She shook her head at Jos terrified face, “Boy, _you sure know how to pick 'em_.”

“Hey, I'm not the only blonde here who needs to watch their ass.” Jo looked between them, “Look, we just find the bones, salt 'em and burn 'em, right?”

“Well, it's not that easy.” Sam countered, “His body is buried in town, _but_ it's encased in a couple tons of concrete.”

“ _What_? Why?”

“The story goes that he didn't want anybody mutilating his corpse.” Dean explained, “‘Cause, you know, _that's what he used to do_.”

“You know somethin’.” Sam leaned forward scoffing and taking a different picture out of the bunch, “We might have an even _bigger_ problem than that.”

Jo scoffed, “How does this get _bigger_?”

“Holmes built an apartment building in Chicago. They called it _the Murder Castle_ . The whole place was a death factory. They had, uh, _trap doors, acid vats, quick line pits_ … he built these secret chambers inside the walls. He'd lock his victims in, keep them alive for days. _Some_ he'd suffocate, _others_ he'd let starve to death.”

“So Teresa could still be alive.” Hope showed on Jo’s face, “She could be inside these walls. ”

Angel nodded and got up, “It's game time fellas.”

Dean slapped his hands together, “We need sledgehammers, crowbars. We've got to smash these walls, anywhere thick enough to hide a girl.”

“Alright.” Once they got their supplies together Angel pointed, “Jo and I will take these, we can fit in the more narrow passageways. You two take the lower floors.”

**_In the building walls…_ **

Jo and Angel squeezed through the crawl-spaces inside the building walls carefully as Angel was on the phone with Dean, “Okay. Call us after you check the southeast wall.” She hung up, “The boys are almost done with the first floor. Haven't found _jack squat_ either. They're on their way over.” She stopped and surveyed the hall before shedding her jacket, “Stay here and wait for them.”

Jo watched her, “What is it?”

“It's too narrow for them to fit through if anything happens.” She looked over at Jo with a warning, “So _stay here_.”

“No way.” Jo pressed going further and ignoring her demand, “ _You’re_ not going by yourself and _I’m_ not staying out here so suck it up. _We’re a team_.”

“Fine.” She dialed Dean's number again and he answered on the first ring, “We’re going down a more narrow passage. Meet us by the north wall. You won’t be able to get through it.”

“ _Alright. I’m on my way. Stay on the line, don’t hang up_.”

They continued down the tight space until Angel saw an air duct and started climbing down it, “Alight uh we’re heading down some kind of air duct.”

“ _No, no, no, no,” Dean huffed, “Stay where you are.”_

Before Angel could protest, Jo beat her to it, “Look, we've gotta find this girl, don't we?” He quieted, “We’re _okay_.”

They come out into a similar space on a lower level and pressed on. Angel stopped abruptly when she saw goo start pouring out from the wall cracks. Her blood ran cold.

Turning she grabbed onto Jo roughly and tried to usher her the other way, “Fuck, _shit-”_

“ _What is it?” Dean asked over the phone but was met with silence, “Ang?_ ”

Angel scream erupted from behind Jo and she twisted to see her being dragged away, “Angel!” 

Panic struck her more when she saw the spirit charge right at her and a scream erupted from her as well. 

Both girls terror had Dean sprinting down to the lower level, trying to hear where they were, “Ang? Jo? _Angel_?!” 

At the silence he was met with he took the sledgehammer he was carrying and smashed a large hole in the wall. He poked his head in and found where they _were_. The only thing left was Angel's cell phone lying on the ground, but neither girl was anywhere to be seen.

**SECTION THREE**

Dean rushed back up the hallway, running directly into Sam who put his arms out trying to steady him from falling, “ _Whoa_.”

“He’s got the girls!”

“ _What_?” Sam barked worriedly, “How'd that happen?”

“I couldn't get to them in time.” Dean turned angrily and stomped towards the room, “ _Dammit_!”

“Hey, hey, look…” Sam pushed his worry to the side as he tried to console his brother, “We'll find them, alright?”

“ _Where_?”

“Inside the walls.”

“We've been inside the walls all night! None of the other girls were there, _they won't be either_.”

“Look… we’ve just gotta take a beat and think about this.” They walked into the apartment and Sam headed straight for the blueprints and photos, “Maybe we got Holmes’ M.O. wrong.”

“Yeah, well, we'd better friggin’ think fast.” Dean's phone rang and he immediately answered, “Yeah?”

_Ellen's voice sounded, angry this time, “You three lied to me. She's there.”_

Dean looked back at Sam, “Ellen.”

“ _No- Ash told me everything. Man's a genius, but he folds like a cheap suit.” She scoffed, “You’re sisters not answering her phone so I can’t wring her a new one at the moment so you put my damn daughter on the phone. Right. Now!”_

Dean cleared his throat, “She's gonna have to call you back, she's taking care of, uh, _feminine_ business.”

“ _Yeah, right. Where is she?” At his pause, panic set in her voice, “Where is she?!”_

“Look, we'll get them back-“

“ _Get them back?” She repeated, “Back from what?_ ”

“The spirit we're hunting,” He swallowed hard, “It took them.”

_A sob broke from her mouth._ “ _Oh my god_.”

“She'll be okay,” Dean vowed, “They both will. I promise.”

“ _You promise.” Ellen scoffed, “That is not the first time I've heard that from a Winchester_.”

“What?”

“ _If anything happens to my daughter…_ ”

“It won't. I won't let it. And- and she's with my sister. You know Angels gonna do everything she can to protect her.” Dean quieted, guilt and worry lacing his voice, “Ellen, I'm sorry, I really am.”

“ _I'm taking the first flight out. I'll be there in a few hours_.” 

Before he could say another word she hung up.

Dean tensed as his frustration and worry erupted, “Damnit!”

“Don't beat yourself up, Dean.” Sam’s eyes softened, “There's nothing you could have done.”

Dean's eyes pleaded with him, “Tell me you've got something.”

“Uh, maybe. _Look_.” He motioned for his brother, “You look at the layout of the Holmes murder castle, there's all the torture chambers inside the walls, right?”

“Right…”

“But there's _one_ we haven't considered yet. The one in this basement.”

Dean shook his head, “This building doesn't have a basement.”

“You're right, it doesn't, _but_ I just noticed this. Beneath the foundation, it looks like part of an old sewer system that hasn't been used for-”

“Let’s go.” 

Dean was instantly on alert as he grabbed his jacket and bolted out the door, Sam closely following behind.

**_In the sewer…_ **

Jo jerked awake in a small, dark place, lying on her back. Thankfully she still had her flashlight and she shined it around to reveal a wood wall a few inches above her face that had long scratches gouged in it covered in dry blood. At the sight, she sobbed with a hand over her face for a second before quickly collecting herself. To her right was another wood panel with a slit; looking through she can see a larger, round chamber with similar compartments to the one she's in around it. Upon hearing something, Jo’s eyes swam around the compartment.

“A- Angel?” She called out shakily, “Angel, is that you?”

As Angel came too in her own compartment, a groan escaped her lips. Her hand went up to touch the welt forming on her head but she pushed the pain out of her head at the memory of what happened.

“Jo?” She moved to look through the wood panel in her own compartment, “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“No, I'm fine. I’m fine.” Jo said hurriedly, her voice shaking, “Are you okay?”

“ _A1_.” Angel grimaced, “Other than feeling like I've been mowed over by a pickup.”

Another female voice sounded from another compartment completely terrified, “Who’s there?” 

“Teresa?” Angel asked, “Is that you?”

She sniffled, “Yes.”

Jo took a breath, “This won't make you feel better, but uh we’re here to rescue you.”

“Oh god.” Teresa whimpered, “He's out there, he's gonna kill us!”

“No, he won't.” Jo interrupted, “We're getting out. We’ve got people looking for us, they'll find us.”

Quiet footsteps were heard nearby signaling that the spirit was approaching. 

Teresa whimpered in fear and panic, “Oh god, _he's here_!”

“Shh!” Angel commanded, “Just be quiet!”

The room stilled as the spirit swept in. Angel watched as the horribly disfigured H. H. Holmes' spirit walked over to Jo’s prison. She struggled as he burst his hand through it and latched onto her head. Jo screamed in pain as it ripped off a chunk of her hair.

Angel pounded on the wood panel, “Leave her alone you son of a bitch!”

**SECTION FOUR**

Sam and Dean, with a metal detector and a shovel, respectively, searched the streets of Philadelphia. They followed the trail into an open field until Sam stopped over one spot, the metal detector whining.

“ _Here_.”

Dean dropped his bag and started digging furiously. After some shovel work, they dug with their hands to uncover a metal trap door, which they pulled open. Dean handed Sam a shotgun before taking one for himself, and a flashlight. He started descending, Sam following close behind.

**_In the sewer…_ **

Angel furiously kicked the wall of her wooden cell multiple times before dropping back in exhaustion. She was about to start again when she heard a gruff voice speaking from the other end of the room.

“ _You're so pretty. So beautiful_.”

Jo jerked back from the scraggly-bearded mouth in the partition opening, “Go to hell!”

Angel hurriedly kicked the wall again, “Keep your hands off her you freak!”

He reached his creepy hand through the opening and fondled her. She turned away and groaned in disgust and horror. Quickly she turned back to him and stabbed into his hand with her knife. The spirit fled from her as he screeched.

“How do you like that? _Pure iron, you creepy-ass son of a bitch_!”

Angel laughed, “You’re one bad ass blonde I’ll give you _that_.”

Jo smirked through the prison, “Still think I can’t hunt?”

“If we make it outta here alive I’ll reconsider my argument.”

After a moment of lasting silence, nothing was heard.

Teresa gasped, “Is he gone?”

“I don't know. I…” 

“He isn't.” Holmes appeared suddenly grabbing Jo by the arm again, pulling her back, and clamped a hand down over her mouth. “ _Shhh_.”

Jo struggled trying to scream but couldn’t because she was being gagged by Holmes and his chloroform. Angel angrily started kicking at the panel in panic as she screamed at him to stop. 

“Hey!” 

Dean yelled from the grate before firing his gun into Holmes' chest. It sent him flying backwards and out of sight as he screamed.

“Angel?!” Dean called out in worry as he and Sam came through the grate, “Jo?!”

“I’m over here.” Angel answered hurriedly but shooed them as they hurried over, “Go get Jo! She's across from me. So is Teresa!”

Dean found an iron bar leaning against a wall and started to pry open Jo’s prison with it. Sam investigated the other compartments; one contained gruesome body parts and the other a cowering Teresa. 

“We're gonna get you out of here, alright?”

“Sam!” Dean hollered before handing the bar off to Sam and then turning back to Jo, “Hang on.” He opened the compartment to let Jo out, “You alright?”

“Been better.” Jo coughed as she stood, “Let's get the hell out of here before he comes back.”

“Actually…” Dean looked her over, “I don't think you're leaving here just yet.”

“ _What_?”

“Remember when I said you being bait was a bad plan?” He looked from her to his sister who had walked over to them, “Now it's kind of the only one we got.”

Dean turned to Sam, who had an armful of terrified Teresa, and he shrugged. When he turned to Angel, her eyes met Jo's terrified ones and they softened. 

“We’ve come this far and he’s right… it's all we’ve got.” Angel met her eyes with conviction, “Listen, i'll be with you the whole time, okay? I’m not going anywhere and neither are my brothers.”

Later on Jo and Angel sat silently in the middle of the chamber watching the walls. Jo had her arms wrapped around her knees, trembling, but breathed deeply and steadily. Angel was on alert, looking around at any sound but keeping her senses on Jo as well.

“Talk to me, Jo.” Angel commanded as she watched the perimeter, “How ya feelin?”

“ _Terrified_ but other than that, _great_.”

Holmes appeared behind them and walked forward but before he could get too close Dean came out of hiding and yelled, “Now!”

Both women dove forward as the fire at the walls and several bags unrolled and spilled salt in a perfect circle around Holmes, trapping him. Angel quickly pulled Jo to safety as Holmes circled gibbering madly and screaming in terror.

“Scream all you want, you dick!” Jo screamed as they all retreated, “But there's no way you're stepping over that salt!” 

She glared at the spirit as Sam and Dean slammed the gate shut sealing off the room. On the street, Sam, Jo and Angel stood standing at the entrance to the sewers looking down.

“ _So_?” Angel smirked down at her, “This job as glamorous as you thought it would be?”

“Well, except for all the _pee-your-pants_ terror, yeah. _Sure_.” Jo smiled, “But that Teresa girl's gonna live a life because of us. It's worth it, isn't it?”

“Yeah.” Angel nodded, sharing a knowing look with her brother, “Yeah it is.”

“Hey, what if somebody finds that sewer down there, or a storm washes the salt away?”

“Both _very_ fine points.” Sam smiled, “Which is why we're waiting _here_.”

Jo raised a questioning brow, “For what?”

  
The loud beeping of a large truck backing up caught their attention. Sam smiled and looked over his shoulder where Dean drove a cement mixer. He backed it up into the field, stopping just over the sewer entrance. 

Angel smirked, “For _that_.”

Dean got out of the cab and helped Sam set up the cement mixer right over the entrance.

Jo smirked, “ _You ripped off a cement truck_?”

Dean grinned at her sheepishly, “I'll give it back.” He watched the cement pour down in satisfaction, “Well, that oughta keep him down there till hell freezes over.”

**SECTION FIVE**   
  


The Impala zoomed quietly down a dark road as Dean drove. He glanced nervously to his right as Jo’s eyes flickered to Dean from the seat behind him. Angel, who sat between Jo and Sam, glanced between Dean and Ellen, who sat in the passenger seat glowering. Sam sat next to her, looking straight ahead at Ellen as well.

Dean glanced at her again before he spoke, “Boy, you- you really weren't kidding about flying out, were you?” Ellen gave no reaction whatsoever as Angel and Sam exchanged a look, “How about we listen to some music?”

He flicked the radio on:

_“You're as cold as ice…_ ” 

Ellen reached forward and flicked the radio off causing Jo and Angel to exchange a look. Dean glanced back at the three of them as if for assistance but no one spoke up. 

He sighed, “This is gonna be a _long_ drive.”

**_At the Roadhouse…_ **

Ellen stormed in, dragging Jo by the elbow as the Winchesters followed.

“Ellen?” Angel rushed forward trying to explain, “Look, this is my fault, okay? I lied to you. I should've told you the truth from the jump and I'm sorry.”

“We all are, Ellen.” Dean nodded as he came to stand next to Angel, “But Jo did good out there, I think her dad would be proud.”

“Don't you _dare_ say that. _Not you_ .” Ellen snapped, emotion threatening to spill from her eyes, “I need a moment with my daughter. _Alone_.”

The three of them eyed her curiously, not knowing what she meant but turned and went outside to wait by the Impala.

“You're angry.” Jo said calmly when they left, “I understand.”

“ _Angry_ ?” Ellen snapped as she walked away from her daughter, “Angry doesn't begin to _touch_ it!”

“Let's just think about this.” Jo followed, trying to reason with her, “Everything's okay. _I'm alive_.”

“Not after I'm through with you!”

“Is this about me _hunting_ , or something else?”

“You let those three use you as _bait_!”

“They were right there. Angel was right next to me, backing me up the whole time-”

“ _That_ is why you _do not_ have the sense to do this job.” Tears came to Ellen's eyes, “You're trusting your life to _them_.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Those three are just like their father!” Ellen sobbed before she could catch it, “ _That_ is what I'm talking about.”

“ _John_?” Jo’s brows furrowed, “I thought you and John were friends…”

“Yeah, we were.” She tried to collect herself, “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-”

“Mom…” Jo waited until Ellen's tear filled eyes met hers, “What _aren't_ you telling me?”

**_Outside the Roadhouse…_ **

Angel, Sam and Dean leaned on the Impala as Jo came storming out. Dean straightened but she glared right at him and kept stalking away, Dean following as Angel and Sam watched curiously.

“That bad, huh?”

She brushed him off, “Not right now.”

“What happened?” He put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to stop her from walking, “Hey, talk to me.”

She ripped it out of his grasp, “Get off me!”

“Sorry.” His brows rose at her but put his hands up before turning to head back to the Impala, “See you around.”

“Dean…” At her voice he turned back to her, “It turns out my dad had a partner on his last hunt. Funny, he usually worked alone; _this guy did too_ , but… I guess my father figured he could trust him. _Mistake_. Guy screwed up, got my dad killed.”

“What does this have to do with-”

“It was your _father_ , Dean.”

He frowned, “What?”

“Why do you think John never came back? Never told you about us? Because he couldn't look my mom in the eye after that, _that's_ why.”

“Jo-”

“Just… just get out of here.” She turned and started walking away as tears streamed down her cheeks, “Please, just leave.”


	7. The Unusual Suspects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel, Sam and Dean investigate the murders of a lawyer and his wife who claimed to have seen a ghost right before they died. However, after local detectives Ballard and Sheridan uncover the Winchesters' records, they arrest the three for a double homicide before they are able to find the ghost.

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

**WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

**_At the Baltimore, Maryland Police Station…_ **

The police station bustled as a cop led a man down the dim police-station hallway in cuffs. A detective, Peter Sheridan, talked on his cell as he walked to his desk holding a mug of coffee in his other hand.

“Under _what_ name? Oh, yeah, that's my favorite so far. Possible ID's in three states that we know of.” He pulled a paper from the fax machine and stared at it, “I gotta call you back.”

At a motel that same night, a SWAT team approached a motel room from the outside. The SWAT team broke open a 2nd-floor door with a battering ram. Inside, Sam and Angel both stop collecting their things and put their hands up, Angel shuffling in front of Sam protectively.

Another detective, Diana Ballard, advanced on them with her gun forward, “Going somewhere, _Angel_ ? _Sam_?”

Later on Detective Sheridan entered one of the interrogation rooms of the prisoners the SWAT team picked up, “Well, first I thought you were just stepping up your game. _Credit card fraud, breaking and entering, and this one_ … _puzzled_ me. _Grave desecration_ , but still _these_ are a _long_ way from murder. Then we get a fax from St. Louis. _Where you're suspected of torturing and murdering a young woman_ . However, no one could prove anything, _of course_ , because supposedly you _died_ there. But i gotta tell you something…” He knelt down so he was face to face with Dean, “You look pretty healthy to me. So now we know _Karen Giles_ wasn't the _first_ person you murdered. _But I guarantee you she's the last_.”

Standing straight, he flashed one more look to Dean before walking out.

**_In Angels interrogation room…_ **

Angel sat in her own interrogation room, a look of annoyance prominently sitting on her face. Her hands were cuffed tightly to a bar underneath the table. When she heard the door open she looked over to see a male detective walk in.

“ _Finally_ .” Angel glared as he came to sit on the table in front of her, she moved her hands as much as the cuffs allowed, “Is _this really_ necessary?”

“Is that even a question?” He raised a brow, “ _You broke my deputies nose_.”

“He got _handsy_ .” Angel sighed as she leaned back in her seat, “Didn't even buy me dinner first, _the rat bastard_.”

“You're funny.” 

“I _try_.”

He deadpanned at her as he took out a file he held underneath his arm, “You’ve been a busy woman, Miss. Winchester.”

“Thats me.” Angel cocked an eyebrow, “One _busy, busy, bee_.” 

“I’ll say…” He studied the file and then her as he read, “At just ten years old you were already booked for shoplifting and vandalism. _Then_ you slowly graduated to credit card fraud, breaking and entering, grand theft auto, assault, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer, grave desecration and, _my personal favorite_ , you broke a guys jaw and kneecap at a bar in the Bay.” Angel rolled her eyes but didn't speak so he continued, “Says here your mother died in a fire in ‘83 and your dad is MIA. I'm guessing that left you to raise your brothers. _Stand up job,_ by the way.”

“What's _that_ supposed to mean?”

“What I _mean_ is, you've done one _stand up job_ at _screwing_ up your little brothers.” He smirked when she narrowed her eyes, “I mean, _Sam_ ? Got a full ride at Stanford and yet _here he is_ . And _Dean_ ?” He whistled, “Accused of torture and murder in St. Louis, faked his own death and _now…_ ” He got up but slammed pictures from a crime scene down in front of her, “ _Now_ he's _here… murdering again_.”

“ _What_ ? Are you _insane_ ?” Angel scoffed, “ _Deans not a murderer_.”

“Wow… you almost sounded genuine.” He slid the pictures closer as he leaned down, “Your brother is a _monster_. It's time to wake up, Angel, and look at what's right in front of you.”

“ _Man…_ ” She scoffed again as she leaned back, meeting his eyes unwaveringly, “ _You are one overworked piece of bacon_ , you know that? My brother didn't do this. You're wasting _your_ time _and_ mine.” Her chin came up after she sighed, “I'll tell you what happened, and it doesn't involve my brother murdering anyone.”

**_In Sam’s Interrogation room…_ **

The policewoman from earlier, Detective Ballard, entered the third interrogation room, where Sam was pacing by the window. 

She placed a coffee cup on the table, “Thought you might be thirsty.”

“Okay, so you're the _good_ cop.” Sam spread his arms with a smirk, “Where's the _bad_ cop?”

“Oh, he just got done with your brother.” She nodded, “ _Now_ he's with your sister.”

“ _Okay_ , and you're holding us _why_?”

“Well, _Dean’s_ being held on suspicion of murder. _Angel’s_ being held because she assaulted a police officer and _you_ , _we'll see_.”

Sam leaned forward in shock, “ _Murder_?!”

“You sound _genuinely_ surprised.” She raised a brow, “Or are you _that_ good of an actor?”

“ _Who was he supposed to have murdered_?!”

“We'll get around to that.”

“Well, you can't just hold us here without formal charges!”

“Well actually, we _can_ , for _forty eight hours_ , but you being a pre-law student, would know that. _I know all about you_ , Sam.” She picked up a file and read from it, “You're twenty three years old, no job, no home address. Your mother died when you were a baby, your father's whereabouts are unknown. And then there's the case of your brother Dean. Whose demise was, well, _just a little bit exaggerated_ . Feel free to jump in whenever you like.” Sam leaned against the wall, folding his arms as he glared, “ _Shy_ ? No problem. I'll keep going. Your family moved around a lot when you were a kid. Despite that, _you_ were a straight-A student. _Got into Stanford with a full ride_ .” She closed the file pointedly, “Then about a year ago there was a fire in your apartment. _One_ fatality. _Jessica Moore, your girlfriend_ . After she died, _you_ fell off the grid. _Left behind everything_.”

“I needed some time off. _To deal_. So I'm taking a road trip with my sister and brother.”

“How's _that_ going for you?”

“ _Great_ .” He pulled a chair up to the table and straddled it, “I mean… we saw the second largest ball of twine in the continental US. _Awesome_.”

“We ran Dean's fingerprints through AFIS.”

“ _Okay_.”

“Got over a _dozen_ possible hits.”

“ _Possible_ hits. Which makes them _worthless_.”

“But it makes you wonder… What are we gonna find when we run _your_ prints? Or your sisters?”

“Yeah, well.” Sam pounded his fist on the table sarcastically, “You be sure to let me know, alright.” He pointed at the cup, “May i?”

She nodded, “Please.”

“Great.”

He sniffed the cup and sipped it as she leaned over him, intently, “ _Sam_ , you seem like a good kid. It's not your fault Dean's your brother. _We can't pick our family_ . Right now detectives in St. Louis are exhuming a corpse. They're trying to figure out _how_ your brother faked his own death after torturing all those young women. Dean's a _bad_ guy. _His_ life is over. _Yours_ doesn't have to be, and neither does your sisters.”

Sam looked at her incredulously, “You want me to turn against my own brother?”

“ _No_ . We already caught him cold. _Red-handed at the Karen Giles murder scene_. We just need you to fill in some missing pieces.”

“ _Why_ would I do that?”

“Because I can talk to the DA. Make a deal for you and your sister. You two can get on with your life. _Dean's as good as gone_.”

Sam, looking distraught, thought for a second before speaking quietly, “My dad and Tony Giles were old friends. They were in the service together. We've known him since we were kids, you know? So we came as soon as we heard about his death.”

**_Flashback:_ **

Dean sat at a cafe table reading a newspaper; the headline read:

_Man's Throat Slit Without A Trace_

Angel and Sam approached the table with coffee in hand. As they took a seat, Angel passed one off to Dean.

“Here.”

Dean in turn handed over the paper to them, “ _Anthony Giles_.”

“Uh…” Angel took it from his as Sam came closer to read it as well, “Who's Anthony Giles?”

“He's a Baltimore lawyer. Working late in his office, check it out.”

“Throat was slit, room was clean. No DNA, no prints. _Huh…_ ” Angel raised a brow as she handed the paper off to Sam, “‘ _Security cameras failed to capture footage of the assailant_.’”

“So I'm thinking either somebody tampered with the tapes-”

Angel finished with an interested eye, “ _Or it's an invisible killer_.”

“My _favorite_ kind.” Dean grinned as he turned to Sam, “What do you think, _Scully_? You wanna check it out?”

“ _I'm_ not Scully.” Sam glared as he folded the newspaper back up and tossed it to him, “ _You're_ Scully.”

“No, _I'm Mulder_ .” Dean corrected a matter of factly, “ _You're a red-headed woman_.”

Angel rolled her eyes, “You two are such dorks, i swear.”

**_Present: Back with Sam…_ **

“So…” Sam chuckled as he continued his story, “Woulda been kinda hard for Dean to kill Tony, _considering we weren't in town at the time_.”

Ballard motioned, “So tell me what happened next.”

“Okay, uh, that's when we went to see Karen. She was barely holding it together. We just wanted to be there for her. You know?”

**_Flashback: The Giles House…_ **

Karen, a young woman with dark hair and dark-framed glasses, sat in her home, on the verge of tears. She frowned as she looked at some forms that the Winchesters, dressed as insurance company employees, have given her.

“ _Insurance_ . I totally forgot about the _insurance_.”

“We're very sorry to bother you right now, but the company is required to conduct its own investigation.” Sam said with soft eyes, “You understand.”

“Sure…”

Angel studied her sadly, “Maam, could you tell us anything you remember about the night your husband died?”

“Uh, Tony and I were just supposed to have dinner. He called and said he was having computer troubles and that- that he had to work late. That was it.”

“Do you have any idea who could have done this to him?”

“No.” She shook her head sadly, “No, it's like I told the police, I- I have no idea.”

“Did Tony mention anything, you know, _unusual_ to you?” Dean asked, “In the days before his death?”

“Unusual…?”

“Yeah, like _strange_?”

Karen shook her head, “ _Strange_?”

“You know, Karen, _weird_ ? Weird _noises_ , uh, _visions_ , anything like that?”

Sam cleared his throat and gave Dean a look. Karen turned to Sam at that who turned on his concerned-face again before shooting Dean another look as she glanced down.

“He had a nightmare the day before he died.”

Angel raised a brow, “What kind of a nightmare?”

“Uh, he said that he woke up in the middle of the night and there was a woman standing at the foot of the bed, he blinked and she was gone… I mean, it was just a nightmare.”

“Did he say what she looked like?”

Karen bristled at Dean's question, “What the hell difference does it make what she looked like?”

“Uh, it's just, our- our company's _very_ thorough.”

“He said she was _pale_ , and she had _dark red eyes_.”

**_Present: Back with Angel..._ **

“So Sam gave Karen a hug, told her to call if she needed anything, and that was it.” Angel glared, “ _End of story_.”

“Angel, for once in your life, _be honest_ .” Detective Sheridan leaned down and glared in her face, “We have an _eyewitness_ , someone who saw three people fitting yours, _and_ both of your brother's description _breaking into_ Giles' office.”

“Okay, _look_ , Karen called us later and said that there was some stuff that she wanted from Tony's office, but the police weren't letting her in- like, a picture of the two of them in Paris, and some other stuff. _Look_ , it was wrong to enter a crime scene, _but she gave us the key_!”

**_Flashback: At Giles Office…_ **

Sam picked the lock on Giles office door before he, Angel and Dean entered, ducking under the police tape. 

“Hey.” Sam shined his flashlight on a pool of blood on the floor, “Anthony Giles' body was found right about here.” He read from the report, “‘ _Throat slit so deep part of his spinal cord was visible_.’”

Dean whistled as they spread out to investigate, “What do you think? Vengeful spirit? _Underlining vengeful_?”

“Probably.” Angel agreed as they walked over to his desk, “He did see that woman at the foot of his bed.”

Dean picked up a sheet of paper lying on the desk, “Take a look at this.”

Angel took it and Sam walked over to read it as well. It contained small-font printing of the word _‘danashulps’_ repeated over and over to fill the page.

“ _Dana Shulps_.” Angel repeated with a raised brow, “A name?” Her eyes fell back down to the printer, “Jeeze, it's everywhere.”

“Well…” Dean grinned, “ _All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy_.”

Sam shined his flashlight down on the glass table in front of him, pausing. He breathed on the glass, revealing the same letters _‘DANASHULPS’_ impressed on the surface.

“ _Wow_ .” Sam chuckled with wide eyes, “I'd say we've _officially_ crossed over into _weird_.”

“Alright…” Angel sighed, “Obviously, Giles had some type of beef or issue with this chick.”

Sam nodded, “Maybe it's the name of our pale red-eyed mystery girl.”

“Well…” Dean slammed multiple files on the table, “Let's see what we can see.”

**_Later on…_ **

After searching through all of the accessible paper and computer files in the office all three of them were frustrated at finding nothing.

“There's not a single mention of a _Dana Shulps_ anywhere.” Dean said as he slammed one of the filing cabinets shut, “There's not a _D. Shulps_ , or any other kind of friggin' _Shulps_.”

“Yeah, i didn't find zip either.” Angel grumbled as she walked back over to Sam who was at the desktop computer, “What have you got?”

“Nothing.” Sam grumbled as well before sighing, “No _Dana Shulps_ has ever lived _or_ died in Baltimore in the last fifty years at _least_.”

“Great.” Angel rolled her eyes, “So we’re back at square one. Where do we go from here?”

“Well, I think I'm pretty close to cracking Giles' password. Maybe there's something in his personal files, you know?”

Dean stared, “By _close_ you mean…”

Sam shrugged, “ _Thirty minutes_ , maybe?”

“ _Awesome_ .” Dean rolled his eyes before glancing at his watch, “So I guess we just get to, uh, _hang out_ .” He muttered, “That’s _awesome_.”

“Its not that long, D.” Angel sighed as she sat in one of the chairs across from the desk, “Just relax.”

Sam typed in concentration as Dean sat down next to Angel, annoyed. They had settled into a comfortable silence, only the keyboard sounds could be heard, when Dean started making clicking and mouth-fart noises.

“ _Dude_ .” Angel kicked his shin, making him jump in pain before glaring at her, “Can you be any more _annoying_?”

“Alright…” Dean hopped out of his seat, “I'm gonna go talk to Karen again, see if she knows anything about this _Dana Shulps_.”

Sam shook his head, “ _Great_.”

As he passed his sister to walk away, he pinched the back of her arm earning a yelp. With precise skill, he narrowly missed her retaliation attack laughing all the while.

“Jerk!”

“Love you, too.” He smirked triumphantly before shining his flashlight at an annoyed Sam, “Keep going, _Sparky_.”

After he left Sam looked at Angel with his bitchface and she rolled her eyes, “Don't look at me like that. _He's annoying_.”

**_Present: Back with Sam…_ **

“Then Dean went back to Karen's place to check up on her.” Sam said as he looked back up at Ballard, “I mean, you know, she had been pretty upset earlier.”

“So why didn't you and Angel go with him?”

“We just went back to the motel.” He stared at her beat for a second, “How'd you know we were there, by the way?”

Ballard walked up to him from the wall, “We found the motel matchbook on your brother when we arrested him.” She grabbed the small evidence bag on the table before slamming it down, “ _Let's quit fooling around_ . Now you two were with your brother the whole time you three were in Baltimore. _Why separate now_ ? Because your brother _left_ you _to go murder Karen_.”

Sam's expression never wavered, “He didn't kill anyone.”

Ballard hit the table with the palm of her hand, “I heard the 9-1-1 call! Karen was _terrified_. She said someone was in the house.”

**_Flashback: Giles House_ **

Karen sat on the sofa in pajamas, crying as the TV was on, low. As she blew her nose, she heard a figure pass by. She took off her glasses to rub her eyes and paused before putting them back on. Across the room in a mirror she saw a ghostly figure and yelped. When she turned on the light, the figure was gone. She shot up in a panic, and ran into her bedroom. After slamming the door shut she quickly called 9-1-1.

_“Hello, emergency services.”_

“Hello?” Karen's voice came out breathy in panic, “I think I saw someone in my house.”

_“What is your address?”_

“It's 421 Clinton Avenue. Please, can you-” A click was sounded before the call was disconnected, “Hello?”

The printer on her desk flicked on and started printing out the same repeated pattern as before: _‘danashulpsdanashulpsdanashulps’_ . Karen fumbled for a flashlight, turned, and saw the ghost behind her- _a young blond woman with dripping red eyes_. Karen screamed in terror at the sight.

**SECTION TWO**

**_Flashback: Continued…_ **

Dean arrived at Karens and knocked on the door, but got no answer.

Frowning, he knocked again, “Karen, you in there?”

Looking around he quickly picked the lock and entered. He tried the light by the door, but it didn't work so he goes further into the house, up the stairs and into the bedroom. He pushed open the door and saw Karen lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. Her throat was slit deeply. 

He saw the pages from the printer and frowned, “Seriously, _what the hell_?”

Dean knelt down by Karen's body, noticing bruises on her wrists. He took one wrist in his hand just as a policewoman barged in.

“Freeze!” Behind Dean, two cops have their guns trained on him, “Stay on your knees. Hands where I can see them. _Now_!” He complied, “Cuff him.”

**_Present: Back with the detectives…_ **

Sheridan sat in an observation room from which he could see Dean handcuffed to a table on one side and Angel handcuffed to her table on the other side.

Ballard entered, “You getting anywhere with them?”

“Not really. Just a lot of wise-ass remarks from the both of them. You?”

“Sam's story matches Angels and Dean's to the last detail.”

“Hm.” Sheridan stood and retrieved his jacket, “Yeah, well, these three are good. I'll give 'em that.”

Ballard followed him out, “If we don't get Sam or Angel to flip we have nothing but a lot of circumstantial evidence.”

“We've got Dean at the crime scene with blood on his hands.” Sheridan countered, “Juries have convicted for less.”

“Yeah, but, I mean, where's the murder weapon? _What's the motive_?” She motioned, “You talk about reasonable doubt…”

“Diana…” He stopped and turned to touch her face affectionately, “Do _you_ have reasonable doubt?” His hand dropped from her as another cop passed them but he kept talking, “We keep leaning on these three, _one_ of them will tumble. And don't forget about St. Louis. I'm telling you, this Dean guy is _our_ guy.”

Ballard frowned as she looked at him sadly, “I know Tony Giles was a friend of yours.”

“Yeah, he was.” Sheridan frowned as they started walking down the hall again, “He was a good friend.”

“And I _know_ you want to clean this mess up quick, but _come on_ . Tony knew _a lot_ of criminal types. I mean, maybe we're just-”

“ _Criminal types_? He was a defense lawyer, for god sakes, of course he knew criminal types.”

“Okay.” She shook her head, “Alright. Let's get back at 'em.”

“No, you know what?” He stopped her, “Let 'em stew in their juices for a bit.” As they stopped by a vending machine he gazed down at her, “Come here.”

She smiled and obeyed, leaning up so he could kiss her.

**_In Angel’s interrogation room…_ **

Angel frowned as she worked her handcuffs with a bobby pin she retrieved from her hair. 

“ _Dana Shulps, Dana Shulps_ …” She frowned, “It's gotta be important… Maybe an anagram instead of a name.”

**_In Sam's interrogation room…_ **

Sam pulled a pad of paper and a pen to him and wrote ‘ _DANA SHULPS_ ’ in block letters, frowning in thought.

“ _Anagram_ , maybe?”

He wrote ‘ _ANDA SH…_ ’ underneath the first line, then continued.

**_In Dean's interrogation room…_ **

Dean, still handcuffed to the table, muttered to himself as he thought, “ _Dana Shulps, Dana Shulps, Dana Shulps_.” He pursed his lips as something came to him, “Maybe it's not a name.”

Head down, Dean continued to mutter to himself when a knock on the door sounded. He looked up as a smiling middle-aged man poked his head in.

“Mr. Winchester?”

“Yeah.”

“I'm Jeffrey Kraus.” He introduced as he walked in, “I'm with the public defender's office. I'm your lawyer.”

Dean deadpanned at the guy, “ _Oh, thank god. I'm saved_.” He eyed Kraus as he took a seat across from him, “Hey, could I, uh, steal a pen from you? Some paper?”

“Sure.” He handed over the items and Dean started scribbling immediately, “Uh, well, the police haven't found a weapon yet. So that's good. But, uh, they got your prints. _And literally blood on your hand_ s. And with your police record, uh…” He frowned when he noticed Dean ignoring him, “Mr. Winchester? What are you doing?”

“I think it's an anagram.”

“A _what_?”

“An anagram.” Dean repeated, finishing up his scribbling, “ _Same letters, different words_.”

His pad of paper now read:

_DNA SHULPS_

_DAN SHULPAS_

_LAND PUSHAS_

_SUPASH LAND_

_PUSH LANDAS_

_PLUSH DANAS_

“Uh, do me a favor?” He slid the paper over to Kraus, “See if you recognize any of these words. You know, _local names, places,_ anything like that?”

“Do you understand how _serious_ these charges are?”

“I'm handcuffed to a table. _Yeah, I get it_. Humor me.” Dean pressed, “Take a quick look.”

With a frown Kraus pulled the pad over to him and studied it, “Well, _S-U-P_ , I don't know about that, but _Ashland_ is a street name. Not far from here.”

“ _A street_.”

Dean took the pad back, tore off a sheet of paper and started writing again.

Kraus tried getting to business, “Let's start with where you were the night Anthony Giles died.”

“Can you get in to see my sister and brother?”

“ _Mr. Winchester, you could be facing the death penalty here_.”

“Hey, thanks for the law review, _Matlock_ , but if you want to help me…” He looked up at him as he held two folded up notes he just finished, “I need you to see my sister and brother.”

**_In Angel’s interrogation room…_ **

Angel looked at the note Dean sent her, which read:

_HILTS-_

_IT'S A STREET_

_ASHLAND._

_-MCQUEEN_

“I hope that's meaningful. It looked to be for your other brother.” Kraus sighed, “But I'd like to discuss _your_ case now.”

Angel deadpanned at him before motioning to the chair in front of her with her head, “Sure thing, _Matlock_.”

Kraus rose a brow, “You three really are siblings, aren't you?” He sat with a sigh, “Now. As you know, the DA might be interested in-”

A knock on the door was quickly followed by Ballard, who addressed Kraus, “We need you. With the other one.”

**_In Dean’s interrogation room…_ **

Several others have crowded into the observation room outside where Dean was being held; across from his seat a digital camera has been set up. When Ballard and Kraus entered, Sheridan turned.

“Counselor…” Sheridan looked to Kraus with a small smirk, “Your boy decided to confess.”

“Mr. Winchester…” Kraus frowned as he shuffled over to Dean, “I'd advise against that _strongly_.”

Sheridan ignored him, instructing Dean, “Talk directly into the camera, first stating your name for the record.”

Dean cleared his throat and leaned forward as he looked into the camera, “My name is Dean Winchester. I'm an Aquarius. I enjoy sunsets, long walks on the beach, and _frisky women_ .” He smirked before getting serious again, “ _And I did not kill anyone_ , but I know who did…” He looked up at Ballard and Sheridan, the latter of which was glaring, “Or rather _what_ did. Of course it can't be for sure, _because our investigation was interrupted_ , but our working theory was that we're looking for some kind of vengeful spirit.”

Ballard narrowed her eyes, “ _Excuse_ me?”

“You know, _Casper the bloodthirsty ghost_ ? Tony Giles _saw_ it. I'll bet you cash money _Karen_ did too. See, the interesting thing is the _word_ it leaves behind. For some reason it's trying to _tell_ us something. But communicating across the veil, _it ain't easy_ , and sometimes the spirits, they get things jumbled. You remember _‘REDRUM’_ . Same concept.” Dean nodded, “You know, it's, uh, maybe _word fragments_ … other times, it's _anagrams_ .” He took out one of the papers he scribbled on and showed Ballard and Sheridan, “See, at first we thought this was a name, _Dana Shulps_ , but now we think it's a street. _Ashland_. Whatever's going on…” Dean spread his hands on the table and smiled, “I'll bet you it started there.”

“You arrogant bastard.” Sheridan growled, “Tony and Karen were good people, and you're making _jokes_.”

“I'm not joking, _Ponch_.”

“You murdered them in cold blood just like that girl in St. Louis!”

“Oh, yeah. _That wasn't me either_ . That was a shape-shifter creature that only _looked_ like me.”

When Dean smiled at the camera again, Sheridan completely lost his temper. He hauled Dean up by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

Ballard ran over to them, “Pete, that is enough!”

Dean raised a brow at the cop, “You asked for the _truth_.”

Sheridan pushed himself off Dean before turning and walking out, “Lock his ass up.”

Another cop took over, shoving Dean face-first against the wall and handcuffing him.

**_In Angel and Sam’s interrogation rooms…_ **

After finding Angel's interrogation room empty, Sheridan and Ballard rushed into Sams to find him gone as well. The coffee and the note he had were still on the table.

“What the hell?” Sheridan grumbled, “Where the hell did they go?” Sheridan went to the window which was open and looked down at the four story drop, “What'd they do? The fire escape's way over…” He caught sight of Ballards frown as she looked at the note that was on the table, “What?”

She handed him the note, “These three…”

Sheridan frowned, “ _Hilts and McQueen_?”

“Hilts is Steve McQueen's character in the Great Escape.”

Sheridan glowered before scoffing and walking out at that realization.

**_In the police station bathroom…_ **

Ballard entered the bathroom and the lights flickered. She sighed as she approached the sink. When it turned on by itself she recoiled from it quickly. All the faucets started pouring out hot water, steam rising. In the fogging mirror the letters _DANASHULPS_ were formed. Ballard hurriedly scrubbed them away to reveal the ghost. Her throat was slit deeply, her eyes deep red as she struggled to talk.

**SECTION THREE**

**_In Dean’s lockup room…_ **

Dean was handcuffed to another table as Ballard entered nervously and shut the door.

“Can we make this quick?” Dean deadpanned at her, “I'm a little tired, it's been a long day, you know, _with your partner assaulting me and all_.”

She eyed him sheepishly, “I want to know more about that stuff you were talking about earlier.”

“Time Life, _‘Mysteries of the Unknown’_ .” Dean raised a brow, “ _Look it up_.”

She sighed and moved to walk in front of him, “Let's pretend for the moment… that you're not _entirely_ insane.”

“ _Mmm_.”

“What would one of these _things_ be doing here?”

“ _A vengeful spirit_ ?” He asked waiting for her small nod, “Well, they're created by violent deaths, and then they come back for a reason- _usually a nasty one_ . Like _revenge_ on the people that hurt 'em.”

“And uh, these… they're capable of _killing_ people?”

As she rubbed her neck, Dean noticed something on her wrist that sent off his alarm bells, “Where did you get that?”

She pulled up her sleeves to reveal deep bruises, like those on Karen’s wrists, “I don't know. It- it wasn't there before.”

“You've seen it, haven't you?” Dean met her eyes worriedly, “The spirit?”

She paled, “How did you know?”

“Because Karen had the same bruises on her wrists, and I'm willing to bet that if you look at Giles' autopsy photos _he's_ got 'em too. It’s got something to do with this spirit, I… I don't know what.” At his words she turned and looked in the mirror, supremely freaked, “ _I know._ You think you're going crazy, but let's skip that part, shall we? Because the last two people who saw this thing? They _died_ pretty soon after.” At her silence she pressed, “ _You hear me_?”

She tensed, “ _You think I'm going to die_.”

“You need to go to Angel and Sam.” Dean nodded, “They'll help.”

She turned at that in shock, “You're giving your brother and sister up?”

“Go to the first motel listed in the yellow pages. Look for Jim Rockford- it's how we find each other when we're separated.” Dean instructed, “Now you can arrest them if you want, _or_ you can let them save your life.”

**_At the motel…_ **

At the motel table, Sam typed at his laptop with a furrowed brow as Angel went through files they had spread out around them. They both gave each other a look when there was a knock at the door. Sam got up and answered it, opening the door to reveal Detective Ballard. He hesitated and sent Angel a raised brow as she got up but Ballard shrugged at their eyes and came in. She was pale and her eyes freaked as she showed them the markings on her wrists.

“Woah…” Angels brows furrowed as she came up beside her brother to survey them, “These showed up after you saw it?”

“Yeah…” She shook her head nervously, “I- I guess.”

“Alright.” Sam nodded, “You're going to have to tell us _exactly_ what you saw.”

“You know…” She scoffed, “ _I must be losing my mind_ . You two are _fugitives_ . I should be _arresting_ you.”

“Yeah, well, you know what? You can arrest us _later_ , alright?” Angel looked her in the eyes seriously, “ _After_ you live through this, but right now you've gotta talk to us, okay?” She nodded tensely, “Good. Now, this spirit, what did it look like?”

“She was, um… _really pale_ , and her throat was cut. And her eyes, they were like, this deep dark red.” She described shakily, “It appeared like she was trying to talk to me, but she _couldn't_ . It was just… _a lot of blood_.”

“You know what? _Here_.” Sam lead her over to a table where he gathered up a stack of crime scene photos, “We've been researching every girl that's ever died or gone missing from Ashland Street.”

“How'd you two get those?” Her brows furrowed as she looked from the photos to the Winchesters, “Those are from crime scenes, and booking photos.”

Angel smirked, “You have your job, _we have ours_.”

Sam motioned, “We need you to look through these and tell us if you recognize anyone.”

Ballard sat on the bed across from them and flipped through the stack. On the third photo, a young woman's booking photo, she stopped.

“This is her.” Ballards eyes became wide, “I'm sure of it.”

“That's Claire Becker.” Angel said, “She's twenty eight years old, disappeared about eight or nine months ago.”

“But I don't even _know_ her. I mean, why would she come after _me_?”

“Well, before her death, she was arrested _twice_. For dealing heroin.” Sam explained looking over, “You ever work narcotics?”

“Yeah, Pete and I did.” She nodded with a frown, “Before Homicide.”

He held up her photo, “You ever bust her?”

“Not that I remember.”

“It says that she was last seen entering 2911 Ashland Street. Police searched the place, but didn't find anything.”

“Well, come on.” Angel instructed as she got up and put her jacket on, “We gotta check it out ourselves and see if we can find her body.”

“ _What_?”

“We gotta salt and burn her bones.” Sam explained as he too got up, “It's the only way to put her spirit to rest.”

Ballard scoffed, “ _Of course it is_.”

**_2911 Ashland Street…_ **

Angel and Sam lead Ballard into a dark and creepy warehouse, “So what exactly are we looking for?”

Angel sighed, “We’ll let you know when we find it.”

Angel motioned and they split up, Angel started downstairs as Sam checked upstairs and Ballard continued on the level they began at. Ballard turned toward a window and jumped when she saw Calire struggling to talk to her.

“Sam!” She yelled panicked, “Angel!”

As Sam ran down the stairs and Angel came up from the basement the ghose disappeared.

“Hey, we’re here.” Sam cooed as he and his sister looked around for whatever had her screaming, “What is it?”

“What happened?”

“Claire…”

Sam turned, “Where?”

“She- she was _here…_ ”

Angel looked her over hurriedly, “Did she attack you?”

“No.” She shook her head trying to steady her breathing, “No, she was just like, reaching out to me. She was over there by the window.” The window was blocked by a shelving unit but Ballard hurried over, “Here, help me move this.”

The three of them shoved the shelves aside, revealing the window. It was labeled from the outside:

_ASHLAND SUP._

Ballard shined her flashlight over it with wide eyes, “Our little mystery word.”

They turned to see a shadow on the opposite wall, casting the words into clear reflection.

Angel looked to Sam, “Now the extra letters make sense.”

Sam pulled out his EMF reader and approached the opposite wall as Ballard eyed him, “What is that?”

“EMF.” Angel explained as her brother concentrated, “Spirits and certain remains give off electromagnetic frequencies.”

“So if Claire's body was here, _that_ would indicate that?”

Angel shrugged, “That's the theory anyway.”

The EMF reader purred as Sam waved it over the brick wall. Soon, he was breaking through the wall with a sledgehammer. When he knocked out a sizable hole, he poked his flashlight inside.

“Yeah, there's definitely something in there.” He started breaking through the wall with his elbows and fists, “You know? This is bothering me.”

Angel frowned, “Me too…”

“Well…” Ballard raised a brow, “We are digging up a corpse.”

“No, that parts pretty normal for us.” Angel sighed, “Whats weird is the fact that no vengeful spirit we’ve ever come into contact with has _wanted_ to be wasted, so why the hell would Claire _lead_ us to her remains? It doesn't make any sense.”

“Alright.” After Sam broke open most of the wall he turned to the women, “Here, give me a hand.”

Together, they pulled out a shroud-wrapped body and placed it on the ground. Sam pulled out a pocket knife and cut the ropes holding the shroud together, uncovering her. Ballard held out her own wrists next to the bodied bound ones.

Sam looked between them, “Her wrists.”

“Claires would be bruised just like yours.” Ballard noticed a necklace on the corpse and touched it cautiously, earning Angel's attention, “That necklace mean something to you?”

“I've seen it before. It's rare. It was custom made over on Carson street.” She reached into her neckline as her face became grim, “I have one just like it. _Pete_ gave it to me.”

**SECTION FOUR**

Angel scoffed as she and her brother straightened, “Now this all makes perfect sense.”

Ballard looked up at them, “I'm sorry?”

“Claires not a vengeful spirit.” Angel put her hands on her hips, “ _She's a death omen_.”

“ _Excuse_ me?”

“ _Claire's_ not killing anyone. _She's trying to warn them_ .” Sam explained, “You see, sometimes spirits, they don't want _vengeance_ , they want _justice_. Which is why she led us here in the first place. She wants us to know who her killer is.”

Angel crossed her arms as she turned to Ballard with a frown, “Detective, how much do you know about your partner?”

Realization hit her in the face and her eyes went wide, “ _Oh my god_ …” She looked between them, “About a year ago, some heroin went missing from lockup. Obviously it was a cop. We never found out who did it, but whoever did it would need someone to fence their product.”

“Someone like a heroin dealer.”

“Somebody like _Claire_.”

**_On the highway…_ **

Sheridan drove an armored van down the highway as Dean sat in the back.

“So I'm being extradited to St. Louis, huh? And you just _decided_ to transfer me yourself, _eight hundred miles_ ? _At two in the morning_?” Dean grumbled, “This can't be good.”

**_With Ballard, Angel and Sam…_ **

Ballard drove Angel and Sam down a similar stretch of road as she finished a call on her cell phone.

“Alright. Thanks.”

Sam studied her tense stature, “What is it?”

“Pete just left the precinct.” She tensed even more, “ _With Dean_.”

Angel leaned forward, “ _What_?!”

“He said the prisoner had to be transfered, and he just took him. Dispatch has been calling but he won't answer the radio.”

“ _Radio_?” Sam repeated, “He took a county vehicle?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, then they should have a lo-jack, you've just gotta get it turned on.”

**_In a clearing…_ **

The armored van pulled off the road and stopped, “Pee break? So soon? You might want to get your prostate checked.” Dean watched as Sheridan got out and circled to the back, “Son of a bitch.” When he opened the van, Dean shook his head, “Hey, I'm cool in the van, you go do what you gotta do.”

Sheridan hauled Dean out and threw him to the ground, “You're a cocky son of a bitch. You think those people in St. Louis are gonna buy that crap you're peddling? _Here's the thing_ . You're not gonna make it to St. Louis. You're gonna _die_ trying to _escape_.”

He pulled out his gun and pointed it at Deans head, “Wait! _Wait_ . Let's- let's talk about this. I mean, you don't want to do something that you're gonna regret later.” He frowned when Sheridan cocked his gun, “ _Or maybe you do_.”

“Pete!” Ballard yelled when they arrived, pulling her own gun on him as Sam and Angel put their hands up from behind her when he swung his gun at them, “ _Put the gun down_.”

“ _Diana_?” He put his gun back on Dean, “How'd you find me?”

“I _know_ about Claire.”

His expression never wavered, “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“ _Put the gun down_!”

“No, I don't think so.” He shook his head at her before smirking down at Dean, “You're fast. _Pretty sure I'm faster_.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I didn't _do_ anything, Diana.”

She glared at him, “It's a little late for that.”

“It wasn't my fault.” He pleaded with her, “Claire was gonna turn me in, _I had no choice_.”

“And _Tony_ ? _Karen_?”

“ _Same thing_ ! Tony scrubbed the money. Then he got _skittish_ , and then _he_ wanted to come clean. I'm sure he told Karen everything.”

Dean glanced at Angel and Sam, who were both giving him ‘ _How do we get out of this_ ’ looks. Dean shook his head at them making them both grit their teeth.

“It was a mess; _I had to clean it up_ . I just _panicked_.”

“How many more people are gonna die over this, Pete?”

“There's a way _out_ . This Dean kid's a friggin’ _gift_ . We could pin the whole thing on him.” His eyes once again plead with hers, “Okay? _No trial, nothing_ . Just- just one more dead _scumbag_.”

Dean frowned, “ _Hey_!”

Sheridan raised his gun and Dean backed off, “No one will question it. _Diana, please_ . I still love you.” His eyes stared into hers for a beat before she lowered her gun, much to the dismay of the Winchesters, “Thank you.” He smiled at her, “ _Thank you_.”

As he turned back to Dean, Ballard brought her gun up and fired, hitting Sheridan in the stomach. He went down and Dean quickly rolled out of the way.

She walked towards him with a glare as he groaned, “Then why don't you buy me another _necklace_ , you _ass_?”

Sheridan tackled her legs, knocking her down. She lost her gun and Sam tried to go for it, but Sheridan got there first.

“Don't do it!” He pointed it directly at Sam who put his hands up and let Angel back him up, “ _Don't do it_!

Ballard stared past Sheridan, who turned to see the ghost behind him, staring through her bloody hair. She smiled as a gunshot went off: Ballard recovered a weapon and shot Sheridan in the back. He went down again, more permanently this time.

**SECTION FIVE**

Ballard knelt beside the body of her late partner before getting up and approaching the Winchesters who were standing nearby.

Sam studied her, “You doin’ alright?”

“Not really.” She frowned, “The death omen Claire. What happens to her now?”

“It should be over.” Angel nodded, “Claire should be at rest.”

“So, uh…” Dean sighed as he looked to Ballard, “What _now_ , officer?”

“Pete _did_ confess to me. He screwed up all of your cases royally. I'd say that there's a good chance that we could get your cases dismissed.”

Sam's brows lifted, “You'd take care of that for us?”

“I hope so.” Her eyes met Angels, “Although, the assault charges on Deputy Demartino aren't going anywhere. You did break his nose.”

Angel smiled sheepishly as she shrugged, “That's fair.” She cleared her throat, “Sorry about that by the way.”

She nodded before continuing, “Oh, and the St. Louis murder charges? That's another story as well. I can't help you. _Unless…_ ” She looked between them knowingly, “I just _happened_ to turn my back, and you three walked away. I could just tell them that the suspects escaped.”

“Wait… are you sure?”

Dean sent his little brother a glare, “Yeah, she's sure, Sam.”

“No, it's just- I mean, you could lose your job over something like that.”

“Look, I just want you three out there doing what you do best. _Trust me_ , I'll sleep better at night.” She turned to go but looked back at them once more, “Listen, you need to watch your back. They're gonna be looking for all three of you right now. Get out of here. I gotta radio this in.”

“Hey…” Dean called to her, “Uh, you wouldn't happen to know where my car is, by chance?”

“It's at the impound yard down on Robertson.” She frowned as Deans calculating look, “ _Don't even think about it_.”

“It's okay, it's all right, don't worry about it.” Angel dismissed her as she turned her brothers to get going, “We'll just improvise. We're pretty good at that.”

“Yeah. _I've noticed_.”

As the three of them walked off down the road Sam smirked, “Nice lady.”

“Yeah.” Angel agreed, “For a cop anyway.”

Dean eyed the two of them curiously, “Did she look familiar to you guys?”

“Uh, i don't think so.”

“No.” Sam shook his head as well before shoving Dean playfully, “Why?”

“I don't know.” Dean smirked, “Anyway, are you two hungry?” They shook their heads, “For some reason I could really go for some pea soup.”


	8. Crossroad Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When two highly successful professionals die after claiming to be haunted by hellhounds, Angel, Sam and Dean investigate the local dive bar and discover it sits upon a site where a deal-making demon has been making people's dreams come true in exchange for their souls.

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

**WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

**_In a saloon at night in 1938…_ **

Robert Johnson was seated on a small stage as he played his guitar. His head was down, and a cigarette dangled from his mouth. The room was sparsely populated with people listening intently. One woman near the front stared at him. She smiled as if the show was just for her, and occasionally he looked up and caught her eye.

Outside, he heard heavy footsteps and the angry growling of a dog and paused. Ignoring it he resumed playing before the sound happened again. He stopped and heard eerie barking but as he looked around, he concluded that nobody else seemed to notice. The cigarette fell from his mouth as he looked in terror once he noticed a dark shape flitting past the window. He stood, clutching his guitar, and bolted from the room in terror, the woman and several others following him in confusion.

Outside Robert stopped, listening for the dog. When he heard it, he dropped the guitar, and ran into a nearby wooden house, bolting the door behind him. He heard the scrabbling and barking of the dog and drew a chair across the floor, wedging it under the door before backing up slowly. Then he sunk to his knees, weeping as the door rattled violently until it flew open. Two men and the woman from earlier entered to find Robert on the floor, convulsing.

“What is going on?”

The woman screamed, “Oh my God!” She rushed over to him and ran her hands over him, “Get a doctor. _Run_ !” The old man ran out as she leaned over Robert and patted his facem “What happened? _Talk_ to me!”

“Dogs…”

“Stay with us, baby!”

“Dogs… _Black_ dogs…”

“Robert?” She shook him as he stilled, “Robert, don't you die on me!”

**_Present Day: at a diner…_ **

The three Winchesters sat at a table, Sam with his laptop open. Onscreen was a mugshot of Dean from the St. Louis Police Department. 

“So much for our _low profile_.” Sam shook his head, “You've got a warrant in St. Louis, and now you're officially in the Fed's database.”

“ _Dude_ .” Dean grinned, “I'm like _Dillinger_ or something.”

“It’s not funny, Dean.” Angel shook her head, “Now we got to watch our asses even more than we've already been doing.”

“She's right.” Sam glared, “Makes the job harder.”

“Well…” Dean shifted with a frown, “What do they got on you two?”

Sam clicked away, “Angels got accessory, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer.”

Dean smirked, “Shouldnt of punched that cop.”

“Shouldn't have grabbed me up like that.” She rolled her eyes before shrugging, “ _Besides_ , a little nose job never hurt anyone.”

“What about you Sammy?”

Sam grumbled, “I'm sure they just… haven't posted it yet.”

“No accessory?” Dean smirked, “ _Nothing_?”

“Shut up.”

Dean chuckled as Angel smirked from beside him, “Awe, Sammy… You're jealous.”

Sam glared, “No, I'm not!”

Dean eyed him, “ _Uh-huh_ , sure.”

“Alright, alright.” Angel smiled at both of them but got to business, “Sam found us a case so let's get to work.”

“Alright.” Dean shrugged before taking another big bite of fries, “What do you got on the case there, you _innocent, harmless young man_ , you?”

Sam grumbled at that so Angel pressed, “Come on, Sammy. I saw some of your research before we came here. Looks interesting.”

“Why are you so quick to jump back in?”

“Because i'm _itching_ just sitting here doing nothing.” She shifted, “Now what've you got?”

Sam shut his computer, annoyed, and pulled out several pages of research, “Architect Sean Boyden plummeted to his death from the roof of his home, a condominium he designed.” 

“Hmm.” Dean leaned forward, “Build a high-rise and jump off the top of it. That's _classy_. When did he call animal control?”

“Two days earlier.”

“And…” Angel eyed him, “He actually _said_ it was a black dog?”

“Yeah. _A vicious, wild, black dog_ . The authorities couldn't find it, no one else saw it. _In fact_ , the authorities are a little confused as to _how_ a wild dog could get past the doorman, take the elevator up and start roaming the halls of the cushiest joint in town. After that, no more calls, he doesn't show up for work, two days later he takes a swan dive.”

Dean looked them over, “You guys think we're dealing with an _actual_ Black Dog?”

Sam shrugged, “Well, maybe.”

Angel sighed, “Any lore on it?”

“It's all pretty vague.” Sam passed them the pages, “I mean, there are spectral black dogs all over the world, but… _Some_ say they're animal spirits, _others_ say death omens. Whatever they are, they're big, nasty-”

“Yeah…” Dean laughed, “I bet they could hump the crap outta your leg, look at that one, huh?” He held up a picture and smirked as Sam and Angel both glared, “ _What_? His smirk slipped, “They could.”

“Well…” Angel shook her head and tapped the table, “Let's get to interrogations.”

**_In a Posh Apartment…_ **

Angel, Sam and Dean all wore their suits and getups as they interviewed the victim's business partner. He was extremely upset and tense as Sam began.

“So, you and Sean Boyden were business partners for almost ten years, right?”

“That's right. Now one more time, this is for…?”

“A tribute to Mr. Boyden.” Angel smiled softly, “In Architectural Digest.” 

The man laughed, making Dean tense, “This _funny_ to you?”

“No, it…” He shook his head, “It's just… _a tribute_ . Yeah, see, Sean _always_ got the tributes. He kills himself, leaves me and his family behind… well, he gets _another_ tribute.”

“Right.” Sam shifted with a frown, “Any idea why he'd do such a thing?”

“I- I have no clue… I mean he lived a charmed life.”

“How so?”

“He was a flat-out genius. I mean, I'm _capable_ , but next to him, I…” He shook his head again, “And it wasn't always that way, either.”

Angel cocked her head, “How so?”

“You wanna know the truth? There was a time where he couldn't even design a _pup tent_ . Hell, ten years ago he's working as a bartender at this place called Lloyds. A complete _dive_.”

“Okay…” Angel pushed, “So what changed?”

“ _You got me_ , but overnight, he gets this _huge_ commission, and he starts designing the most _ingenious_ buildings anyone has ever seen. It was like, _the level of Van Gogh, and Mozart_ …” 

When he cut off abruptly Angel pressed him again, “What?”

“It's funny. _True_ geniuses, they seem to die young, don't they? To have that kind of talent? Why… _why_ just throw it away?”

**_Outside the Animal Protection Agency…_ **

Dean exited the building and quickly got back in the impala where the other two were waiting. 

Angel leaned forward as Sam looked over, “ _So_?”

“Secretary's name is _Carly_ .” Dean grinned, “She's _twenty three_ . She, uh, _kayaks_ , and _they're real_.”

“ _Oh for Christ sake_ .” Angel rolled her eyes, “Did you use your _actual_ brain and ask about the case? _Black dogs_ ring any bells for your girlfriend?”

“Every complaint called in this week about anything big, black, or dog-like.” He said as he held up a page, “There's _nineteen_ calls in all. And, uh…” He pulled off a post-it note, “ _I don't know what this thing is_.”

Sam took it, and laughed once he read it.

Angel's brows furrowed when she read it as well and then looked at Sam as well, “What?”

“This is a myspace address.”

Angel's brow went up, “A _what-space_ address?”

“Yeah, _MySpace_ , what the hell is that?” Dean asked again and Sam laughed, “Seriously, is that like some sort of porn site?”

Angel shook her head, “ _Wow_.”

“Its a social media account.” Sam explained, extremely entertained at their confused looks, “Like _email_ almost.”

Angel sighed as she leaned back, “No one _calls_ anymore?”

**_Dr. Perlman's House…_ **

The three Winchesters approached yet another white suburban door and knocked. 

“I _swear_ .” Dean glared, “If this is another freakin' Pomeranian barking in the neighbor's yard…” The door opened to reveal a young woman, “Afternoon, ma'am.” They pulled out their IDs, “Uh, _Animal Control._ ”

“Oh…” She waved them off, “Someone already came yesterday.”

“We’re just here following up ma’am.” Angel smiled, “We’re looking for Dr. Sylvia Pearlman?”

The woman stepped aside and let them in, leading them to the kitchen, “The Doctor, well, she… I don't know _exactly_ when she'll be back. She left two days ago.”

“Okay…” Angel nodded, “And who are you?”

“Ms. Pearlman's maid.”

“So…” Dean turned to her, “Where did the Doctor go?”

“I'm not sure. She just packed and _went_. She didn't say where. That stray dog, did you find it finally?”

“Oh, not yet.” Sam shook his head, “You know, you didn't ever happen to _see_ the dog _yourself_ , did you?”

“Well, _no_.” She frowned, “I never even heard it.” 

In the background, Dean took a photograph off the wall. It showed Dr. Pearlman at a bar with two friends.

“I was almost starting to think the Doctor was _imagining_ things, but she's not like that, so…”

“Hey, you know I read she was, uh _chief surgeon_ at the hospital. She's gotta be what, forty two, forty three?” Dean asked, “That's pretty young for that job.”

“Youngest in the history of the place. She got the position… _ten_ years ago?”

The three of them looked at eachother and Angel shifted. She had a bad gut feeling she couldn't shake since they took this case. For some reason she couldn't stop thinking about their dad and their miraculous recovery all those weeks ago. Something wasn't right.

“Huh…” Angel locked eyes with Dean, “An _overnight_ success. _Ten years ago_.”

“Yeah…” Dean nodded, “We know a guy like that. Oh, look at this.” He held up the photo and flipped it over to show writing on the back, “ _Lloyd's Bar_.”

**_Lloyds Bar…_ **

The three of them pulled up outside the crossroads of the bar and got out. As they walked towards the bar, Dean noticed some yellow flowers growing by the side of the road and stopped. 

“Hey.” Angel and Dean also stopped and looked at him, “That's weird.” On all corners of the crossroads a certain type of yellow flower flourished, “Think someone planted these?”

Sam looked confused, “Middle of all these weeds?”

“These are Yarrow flowers.” Angel looked grim as she shook her head, “They're used for rituals… _Heavy_ rituals… _Summoning_ rituals.” That feeling was back, and it was making her nauseous, “What the hell did we stumble on?”

“So…” Dean wiped his face, “Two people become sudden successes about ten years ago. Right around the time they were hanging out _here_ at Lloyd's.”

“Where there just happens to be a crossroads.” Sam motioned knowingly, “You think?”

Dean shrugged, “Let's find out.” He walks to the center of the crossroads and looks around, measuring, “This seem about the dead center to you?” 

Angel nodded and got the shovel out of the impala. She handed it to him and he dug a few inches into the hard soil before hitting something solid and stopping.

“ _Yahtzee_.” 

He dropped the shovel and dug with his hands, pulling out an old rusted box. It contained, amongst other things, several small bones and a small stoppered jar.

Sam took the jar out, “I'd be willing to bet that's graveyard dirt.”

Angel pointed, “ _And_ a black cat bone.”

“That's serious spellwork.” Dean shook his head, “I mean, that's _Deep South Hoodoo_ stuff.”

“Used to summon a demon.”

“A powerful one at that, boys.” Angel scoffed, “Crossroads are where pacts are made. These people are actually making deals with the damn thing.”

“You know…” Dean angered, “‘Cause _that_ always ends good.”

“They're seeing dogs, alright.” Sam motioned, “But not _Black Dogs_ . They're seeing _Hellhounds_ . _Demonic pit bulls_.”

“Yeah…” Dean nodded, “Whoever this demon is, it's back and it's collecting. And that doctor lady? Wherever she's running? _She ain't running fast enough_.”

“So it's just like the Robert Johnson legend, right?” Sam asked, referring to the blues player, “I mean, _selling your soul at the crossroads_ , kind of deal?”

“Yeah except that's not a _legend_ . That's for _real_ stuff.” Angel said as she looked through the litter box again, “You know his music, Sammy.”

Sam shrugged which caused Dean to scoff, “You don't know _Robert Johnson's_ songs? Sam, there's- there's _occult_ references all over his lyrics. I mean, _Crossroad Blues_ ? _Me and the Devil Blues_ ? _Hellhound on My Trail_?” 

Sam frowned, Angel smirked and Dean rolled his eyes in disappointment.

Angel looked to her little brother, “ _The story goes_ , he died choking on his own blood. He was hallucinating, and muttering about big evil dogs.” She motioned, “ _Hellhounds_. They came for him when his time was up.”

Sam's face went white, “And now it's happening all over again.”

Dean nodded, “Yeah.”

“We've gotta figure out if anyone else struck any bargains around here.”

“ _Great_ .” Dean grumbled, “So we've gotta clean up these peoples' mess for 'em? I mean, they're not exactly _squeaky clean_ . Nobody put a gun to their head and forced 'em to play _Let's Make A Deal_.”

“Okay, _and_ ?” Angel glared, “They're still human and we’re hunters. It's our _job_ to do everything in our power to _save_ them.”

“Somebody goes over Niagara in a barrel, _you gonna jump in and try to save 'em_?”

This time Sam glared, “ _Dean_.”

“Alright. _Fine_ .” He looked at them beat, “Rituals like this, you've got to put your own photo into the mix, right? So…” He took out a photo in the box, “ _This_ guy probably summoned this thing. Let’s go and see if anyone inside knows him. _If_ he's still alive.”

**SECTION TWO**

**_At the Darrow home…_ **

The three Winchesters walked up a set of wide, wooden stairs to the fourth floor of an apartment building.

Sam looked at Dean, “What's this guy's name again?”

“ _George Darrow_ . Apparently quite the _regular_ at Lloyd's. Though this house probably ain't up next on _MTV Cribs_ , is it?”

“ _So…_ ” Angel shrugged, “We know he didn't make a deal for cash.”

“Oh, _who knows_ . Maybe this place is full of _babes_ in _Princess Leia bikinis_ .” Sam sighed at him as Angel stared blankly, “ _I'm just saying_ , this guy's got one _epic_ bill come due. Hope _at least_ he asked for something _fun_.”

“Dean…” Angel dismissed him with one look, “Can you just shut it off for _ten_ minutes?:

They reached the landing and stopped in front of apartment 4C. The floor was dusted with a fine black powder earning Sam's attention.

“Look at that.”

They all crouched down and ran their fingers through it.

“What is that, _pepper_?”

Angel pursed her lips, “Never seen this before…”

The door opened to reveal George, a middle-aged man with graying hair wearing a grimy t-shirt and open button-down, “ _Who the hell are you_?”

They get up and Dean regards him, “ _George Darrow_?”

“I'm not buying anything.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dean stopped him from shutting the door, “Looks like you went for the wrong shaker there. _Heh_ . Usually when you want to keep something evil _out_ you go for the _salt_.”

He glared, “I don't know what youre talkin' about.”

“Talkin' about this.” He held up the small picture, “ _Tell me_. You seen that Hellhound yet?”

“We just wanna help.” Angel offered a small smile, “Just give us five minutes.”

George frowned but showed them in and poured himself a glass of whisky. The studio apartment was filled with paintings, completed and half-finished, and a table that held painting supplies.

“So…” Sam turned to him, “What’s that stuff out front?”

“ _Goofer Dust_ .” They look at him blankly, “What, you three think you know somethin' about somethin' but not _Goofer dust_?” 

“Well, we know a _little_ about _a lot_ of things.” He tossed Dean a brown sack that was tied closed with twine, “Just enough to make us dangerous.”

“What is it?” Angel asked, “What's it used for?”

“ _Hoodoo_ . My grandma taught me. Keeps out _demons_.”

“ _Demons_ we know.” 

“Well, then, maybe it'll do you some good.” He walked over to a chair, “ _Four minutes left_.”

The boys glanced at Angel who cleared her throat and took the lead, “Mr. Darrow. We know you're in trouble.”

Dean grumbled, “Yeah, _that you got yourself into_.”

“But it's not _hopeless_ , alright?” Sam half-directed that at Dean as Angel elbowed Dean in the ribs, “There's gotta be something we can do.”

“ _Listen_ , I get that you three want to help, but sometimes a person makes their bed, _they've just got to lie down in it_. I'm the one called that demon in the first place.”

Dean's voice nearly came out as a growl, “What'd you do it for?” 

“I was _weak_ . I mean, who don't want to be great? Who don't want their life to _mean_ something? I just…” He frowned, “I just never thought about the price.”

“Was it worth it?”

“ _Hell no_ .” He scoffed, “'Course, I asked for _talent_ . Shoulda gone for _fame_ . _I'm still broke, and lonely_ . Just now I got this pile of paintings don't nobody want, but _that_ wasn't the worst.”

Angel cocked her head, “Then what's the worst?”

“Demon didn't leave. I never counted on _that_ . After our deal was done the damn thing stayed at Lloyd's for a _week_ . Just chattin'. _Makin' more deals_ . I tried to warn folks, but I mean, _who's going' to listen to an old drunk_?”

Sam leaned forward, “How many others are there?”

“Uh, _the architect, that doctor lady-_ I kept up with _them_. They've been in the papers. Least they got famous.”

“Who _else_ , George?” Dean barked out again, “Come on, _think_.”

“One more. Uh, nice guy too. _Hudson_ . _Evan_ , I think. I don't know what he asked for. Don't matter now. We’re done for.”

“ _Not if we can help it_ .” Angel pressed, making him meet her eyes, “We’ll find a way. There's _always_ a way.”

“You don't get it! I don't want a way!”

“Look, you don't-”

“ _I_ called that thing! _I_ brought it on myself. _I brought it on them_ . I'm going to hell, one way or another. All I want is to finish my last painting. _Day or two_ , I'm _done_ . I'm just trying to hold them off 'till then. Buy a little time.” He motioned, “Okay, you three. Time you went, go help somebody that _wants_ help.”

Sam shook his head, “We can't just-”

“ _Get out!_ I got work to do.”

“You don't really _want_ to die.”

“I don't? I'm…” His face became warn, sad, “I'm _tired_.”

They left as George resumed his painting.

**SECTION THREE**

**_At the Hudson house…_ **

Sam knocked on Evans' front door and a moment later, he opened it very timidly, “Yes?”

Angel peaked through, “Evan Hudson?” 

“You ever been to a bar called _Lloyd's_ ?” Dean asked, “Would have been about ten years ago.” Terrified, Evan slammed the door and latched it, “ _Come on_ , we're not _demons_!”

Sam turned to Dean with a huff, “Any other _bright_ ideas?”

Dean stepped back, set himself, then kicked the door down in one go. They entered and chased Evan to another room where he locked himself in. Dean prepared to kick down that door too but Sam caught his leg, stopping him. Looking at Dean pointedly, Sam turned the handle and pushed the door open gently. The room was dead silent as they entered.

Angel looked around, “Evan?”

“Please!” Evan jumped out from behind a bookshelf, “Don't hurt me!”

“We're not going to hurt you, alright?” Sam held his hand out, pacifying, “We're here to _help_ you.”

Dean nodded, “We know all about the _genius_ deal you made.”

“What? _How_?”

“Doesn't matter.” Angel dismissed, “All that matters is, _we're here to help you_.”

“How do I know you're not lying?”

“Well, you _don't_ .” Dean raised a brow, “But you're kinda running low on options there, _buddy-boy_.”

Evan swallowed as he started pacing, “Can you stop it?”

“Don't know.” Sam shook his head, “We'll try.”

“I don't want to die.”

Dean scoffed, “Of course you don't, not _now_.” 

Sam turned to him quietly, “Dean. _Stop_.”

“What'd you ask for anyway, Evan? _Huh_ ?” Dean pressed angrily, “Never need Viagra? Bowl a perfect game? _What_?”

Evan looked up at him, “ _My wife_.”

“Right.” Dean laughed, “ _Gettin' the girl_ . Well, _that's_ worth a trip to hell.”

Angel centered her little brother with a glare, “Dean _enough_ already.”

“No. He's right, _I_ made the deal. Nobody twisted my arm, that… _woman_ , or _whatever_ she was, at the bar? _She said I could have anything I wanted_ . I thought she was nuts at first, but… I don't know how to- I was _desperate_.”

“ _Desperate_?”

“Julie was _dying_.”

Dean studied him, “You did it to _save_ her?”

“She had cancer. They'd stopped treatment… They were moving her into hospice, they kept saying… _a matter of days_ . So _yeah_ , I made the deal, _and I'd do it again_ . I'd have died for her _on the spot_.”

Dean moved forward, “Did you ever think about _her_ in all this?”

“I did this _for_ her.”

“You _sure_ about that?” Dean advanced on him agitatedly, “I think you did it for yourself. _So you wouldn't have to live without her_ . But guess what? _She's_ going to have to live without _you_ now, but what if she _knew_ how much it cost? _What if she knew it cost your soul_ ? How do you think _she'd_ feel?”

“Dean, _alright_ !” Angel put a hand on his chest and pulled him back, her eyes softening at his pain, “That's _enough_ , okay?”

“You just sit tight, alright?” Sam said as he turned to Evan, “We're going to figure this out.”

Sam followed Angel and Dean into the hallway before giving his brother a worried look, “You okay?”

“Yeah, why wouldn't I be?” Dean quickly dismissed him, “Hey, I got an idea.” He pulled out the Goofer dust, “You two throw George's Hoodoo at that Hellhound, and keep it away from Evan as long as you can. I'm gonna go to the crossroads and summon the demon.”

“ _Excuse_ me?”

“Summon- _are you nuts_?”

“ _Maybe a little_ , but I can _trap_ it. I can _exorcise_ it, and I can buy us time to figure out something more permanent.”

“ _No way_ .” Angel immediately dismissed, putting her hands on her hip and facing Dean head on, “No way are you doing that. How much time is that even going to buy us? A few _hours, days_ maybe?”

“It's not easy for those suckers to claw their way back from hell and into the sunshine.”

“Crossroads are more powerful than your average joe, Dean.” Angel shook her head, “ _No_.”

“You _can't_ say no.” He challenged, “Not unless you've got a better idea.”

“Dean, you can _forget_ it, alright?” Sam scoffed, “We’re not letting you summon that demon.”

“Why not?”

“Because your head space isn't _A1_ that's why!” Angel yelled, “You think we don't see that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“She's talking about how you've been on edge ever since we found that crossroads, Dean, and I think I know _why_ . I think we _all_ know why because we’ve _all_ thought about it.”

“We don't have time for this.” 

He brushed past them but is quickly stopped by Angel as she got in front of him, “ _Dad_ . You think maybe Dad made one of these deals to save us, huh? Hell. _I've been thinking it_. I'm sure the both of you have too. It makes a lot of damn sense.”

“It fits, doesn't it?” Dean said quietly, “ _We’re alive, Dad's dead, the colts gone_. The yellow-eyed demon was involved. What if he did? What if he struck a deal? Our lives for his soul and the gun?”

“I think i hear it!” Evan screamed from inside, “It's outside!”

Dean looked at them pointedly, “Just keep him alive, okay?”

Angel took a deep breath and groaned before taking off after him ignoring Sam's protests, “If you think this is just about you then you're wrong. We were both supposed to die that night. _You aren't doing this alone._ ”

“ _Fine_ , but _I_ take the lead.”

“ _Fine_.”

**_Once at the crossroads…_ **

Dean placed a photo of himself in George's box of Hoodoo Magic. He buried it dead center at the crossroads, scraping the dirt over it with his hands. As he stood, a beautiful young woman in a black dress appeared behind him.

“ _So_ . What brings a guy like you to a place like this?” He turned and looked at her appraisingly causing her to smirk, “ _You called me_?”

“I'm just glad it worked.”

“First time?”

“You could say that.”

“Oh, come on now. Don't sell yourself short. I know all about you…” Her eyes glowed red for a moment, “ _Dean Winchester_.” 

Dean looked shocked but quickly reigned it in for a moment, “So, you know who I am…”

She shrugged, “I get the newsletter.”

“Don't keep me in suspense.” He smirked again, “What have you heard?”

“Well, I heard you were _handsome_ , but…” She raked her eyes over him, “ _You're just edible_. What can I do for you, Dean?”

Dean motioned to the impala, “Maybe we should do this in my car. _Nice and private_.”

“Sounds good to me.” 

They strolled to Dean's car and he gave her a side eye, “So I was hoping we could strike a deal.”

She nodded, “That's what I do.”

“I want Evan Hudson released from his contract.”

“ _Hmm_ . So sorry, darling.” She shook her head, “ _That's_ not negotiable.”

He grinned, “I'll make it worth your while.”

“Oh _really_? What are you offering?”

“ _Me_.”

“Well, well, well.” She grinned, “You'd sacrifice your life for someone else's. _Like father, like son_ .” Dean eyed her warily and she grinned wider, “You _did_ know about your daddy's deal, right? _His life for yours and your sisters_ ? Oh, I didn't make the deal myself, but… _boy_ , I wish I had.”

Dean grit his teeth as he opened the passenger side door, “ _After you_.”

“Such a gentleman.” As she started to get into the car, she looked down and saw the edge of a symbol extending from below the car, “ _A Devil's Trap_? You've got to be kidding me.”

**_Back at the Hudson house…_ **

Sam quickly sprinkled the Goofer dust in a line before the windows. Then he started making a circle of it around Evan, who stood in the middle of the room.

“What is that stuff?”

“Goofer dust.”

“You serious?”

“Yeah. 'Fraid so. _Look_ .” Sam met his terrified eyes, “ _Believe_ me, _don't believe_ me, _whatever you want_ . Just whatever you do, _stay inside the circle_ , alright?” Evan nodded and hugged himself as Sam shook the bag to get out the last grains and finished up the circle, “That's the last of it.” Evan whirled around at an unheard sound, “What?”

He tensed when he heard the dog growling, “You hear that?”

“No, where?”

The demonic growling got louder and he began to shake, “Right outside the door.”

The doors began to rattle violently as Sam stepped inside the circle. Side by side inside the circle of dust, Evan and Sam stared tensely at the rattling door.

“Just don't move.” Sam instructed, “Stay where you are.”

**SECTION FOUR**

**_Back at the crossroads…_ **

“You stupid, _stupid_ …” The demon slammed the car door shut and advanced on Dean, who backed up towards a wooden structure, “ _I should rip you limb from limb_.” 

“Told him that wouldn't work.” Angel stepped out from hiding behind the wooden structure with a smirk of her own, “You know how men are though. _They never listen_.”

“ _Angel Winchester_ .” The demon scoffed and snarled from her to Dean, “Didn't know I was being _graced_ with _two_ Winchesters in one night.”

“It's a special night…” Angel regarded her, “Now you were saying how you were going to rip my little brother _limb from limb_?”

“No… Not yet…” She smiled, “I think i'll have some fun with the _both_ of you first.”

“And _why’s_ that?”

“ _Because your misery's the whole point_ . It's too much fun not to watch. _Knowing how your daddy died for you two, how he sold his soul_ . I mean, _that's_ gotta hurt.” She walked until she backed Dean up against a wooden railing, Angel moved to help him but he motioned to stop her, “It's all you ever think about isn't it, Dean? You wake up and your first thought is, ‘ _I can't do this anymore_ .’” Her head turned slightly, “And _you_ . You're all lit up with pain that never stops. _Pain and guilt that you can't get rid of_ . I mean, you both loved him so much, and it's _all your fault_ that he's rotting in the pit. You _blew_ it! _Both_ of you!” She backed up slightly, “But I could have given you what you need.”

Angel shuffled forward with a glare as she crossed her arms, “And what's _that_?

“ _Your father_ .” She turned back to Dean, looking him in the eye, “ _I could have brought him back_ . _Your_ loss. Seeya. _I wish you a nice long life_.”

Dean stopped her, looking to Angel briefly, “Hold on.”

The demon stopped, smiling as she turned to see him standing beside Angel beneath the wooden structure, head down, “You're lucky I've got a soft spot for lost puppies and long faces. I just can't leave you like this. _Besides_ . You didn't call me here to bargain for Evan. _Not really_.”

“You can't bring him back…” Angel regarded her for a long second, “That's not possible.”

“ _Of course I can_ . Just as he was. Your dad would live a long and natural life, like he was _meant_ to. _That's_ a promise.”

“And what do you want?”

“Your brother's soul.”

“ _No-_ ”

Dean hurriedly interrupted before Angel could dismiss the demon, “What would happen to me?” 

“I could give you _ten_ years. _Ten long good years with him_ . That's a _lifetime_ . The family can be together again. _John, Angel, Dean, Sammy_ . The Winchesters all reunited.” She advances towards them, “ _Look_ , your dad's supposed to be alive. _Both of you are supposed to be dead_ . So we'll just set things straight, _put things back in their natural order_ . And you get ten extra years on top. _Plus_ I'm only asking for one of you in exchange for him. _That's a bonus_.”

Dean nodded, “You think you could…” He shrugged as he smirked from Angel back to the demon, “I don't know, _throw in a set of steak knives_?”

The demon took a few more steps forward, “You know, this smart-ass self-defense mechanism of yours-” 

She stopped abruptly and looked up. Above her head, on the ceiling of the wooden structure, was a Devil's Trap. 

She glared at them, “ _Let me out!_ ”

Angel laughed, “Not gonna happen, but I _loved_ watching the show.”

“I said let me out! _Now_!”

“Sure.” Dean eyed her, “We just gotta make a little _deal_ here first. You call off your Hellhounds and let Evan go. _Then_ we’ll let you go.”

She glared, “I can't break a binding contract.”

“ _Hmm_ . And by _can't_ you mean _don't want to_ ? Last chance. Evan and his wife get to live to a ripe old age. _Going, going_ …”

“Let's talk about this.”

“Okay, _gone_.” 

He nodded at his sister who circled around her as she pulled out their Dad's Journal. She opened it and held a rosary in one hand. 

The Demon stiffened, “What are you doing?”

“Oh.” Dean grinned from beside Angel, “You're just gonna go on a little trip. _Way down South_.”

“Forget Evan. _Think of your dad_.”

Angel shook her head and began the exorcism, “ _Regna terrae, cantate Deo…_ ” She continues the exorcism, circling the Demon who began to flinch and convulse, “I _n potentis Magnife_!”

The demon screamed, “ _Wait_!” 

Dean put a hand up to stop Angel. The Demon grabbed Dean and locked him in a passionate kiss sealing the deal. She broke it and he stepped back away from her in disgust as Angel looked between them in horror.

“ _What the hell was that for_?”

“Sealing the deal.”

Dean wiped his mouth, “I usually like to be warned before I'm _violated_ with demon tongue.”

“Evan Hudson is free. He and his wife will live long lives.”

Angel raised a brow, “And how do we know you're not lying?”

“ _My word is my bond_.”

Dean scoffed, “Oh, _really_?” 

“It is when I make a deal. _It's the rules_. You got what you wanted. Now let me go.”

Dean stepped back, glancing up at the Devil's Trap before he looked at Angel who palmed the rosary. 

The Demon glared, “ _You're gonna double-cross me_ ? Funny how _I'm_ the trustworthy one.” Dean shrugged and Angel just continued to glare at her, “You know, you renege? _Send me to hell_ ? Sooner or later I'm gonna climb out, _and skinning Evan Hudson will be the first thing that I do_.”

Dean smiled tightly before motioning to Angel who stashed the rosary away. He climbed up and broke the protective circle above the demon's head. 

“I gotta tell you…” She steps out, “You would have _never_ pulled that stunt if you knew. Either of you.”

“Knew _what_?”

“ _Where your dad is._ You should have made that deal. See, people _talk_ about hell, but it's just a _word_ . It doesn't even come _close_ to describing the real thing.”

Dean angered, “Shut your mouth, bitch.”

“Dean…” Angel grabbed him, “Relax.”

The Demon continued taunting him, “If you could see your poor daddy? _Hear the sounds he makes 'cause he can't even scream_?”

Dean shuffled Angel away from him before advancing on the demon, “How about I send you back there?”

She threw her head back and black ichor poured out of her mouth as she screamed. Dean backed up until he's beside Angel against the wooden structure again. The Demon was gone, and the girl who had hosted it slumped to the ground in confusion.

“What… how did I get here?”

“Its okay.” Angel went over to her, “You're going to be okay.”

**_Back at the Hudson house…_ **

The rattling steadily became louder and more violent, before it stopped suddenly.

“Do you still hear it?”

“No.” Evan shook his head as he looked at Sam, “Is it over?”

A rumbling sound came from a grating by the wall and they both whirled to stare at it. The grating burst outward, kicking dust into the room.

“It's here!”

The barking grew louder and closer as invisible Hellhounds surrounded Sam and Evan.

“No!” Sam pushed him back as he tried to run, “Back inside the circle!”

Deep claw marks were gouged into the floor in a path towards the circle but they stopped just before the edge. As wind started to eat away at their protective circle, Sam and Evan backed away.

“Circle's broken. Come on!”

Sam pulled Evan out of the room and down the hall. They darted into a storeroom and slammed the door behind them. Sam braced himself against it as the Hellhounds started to pound it down. Suddenly violent pounding stopped and everything went quiet. Sam and Evan looked around, panting.

**SECTION FIVE**

**_In the Impala…_ **

Dean drove down a dark road as Angel was frowning in the back seat from recounting everything that happened.

“Demons lie all the time, right?” Sam offered with a frown, not really believing it himself, “Maybe she was _lying_.”

“Come on. That really what you think?”

Sam looked down and Angel shook her head with a scoff, “How could he do it? I mean _seriously_ ? _How_?”

“He did it for both of you.” Sam's head came up and he looked at both of them, “To save you guys.”

“ _Exactly_ .” Dean scoffed, “How are we supposed to live with that? You know, the thought of him… _wherever_ he is right now. I mean, he spent his whole life chasing that… yellow-eyed son of a bitch. _He should have gone out fighting_ . That was supposed to be his _legacy_ , you know? Not _bargaining_ with the damn thing. _Not this_.”

“He wasn't supposed to die like this.” Angel rubbed her face, guilt clouding her, “Making a deal. It's not right.”

“How many people do you think Dad saved?” Sam asked, “ _Total_?”

Dean dismissed him, “That's not the point, Sam.”

“Evan Hudson is _safe_ because of what Dad _taught_ us. _That's_ his legacy, but _we're still here._ So we gotta keep going, _for him_.”

Angel leaned forward and looked to her brother, “Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“When you were trapping that demon, you weren't… actually _making_ that deal, right?”

Dean stared straight ahead, then glanced out the window. He reached forward and turned the radio on full blast but didn't say a word. Sam flinched as Angel's expression turned hard.


	9. Croatoan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Sam has a vision of Dean killing a young man who seems to be possessed by a demon, the three head off to Oregon to search for answers. They come across a town infected by a deadly virus that drives a person to kill.

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

**WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

**_At a Clinic in the dead of night…_ **

_Dean, in a dim hallway, turned towards a door as he pulled out his gun. He slid out the clip, tapped it on the gun, then replaced it. Inside the room, there is a Crater Lake poster on the wall. Below it is a young blond man tied to a chair. Nearby are a young woman, a middle-aged woman, and a tough-looking man. The young blond man looked up as Dean opened the door and entered, raising his gun._

_“No, no, no, no, no, you're not gonna…” The young man blubbered, “No, I swear! It's not in me!”_

_“Oh God.” The young woman sobbed, “We're all gonna die.”_

_The older man turned to Dean, “Maybe he's tellin' the truth.”_

_Dean advanced as he cocked his gun, “He's not him, not anymore.”_

_“No, stop it! Stop it!” The young man cried before pointing to the middle aged woman in a doctors coat, “Ask her, ask the doctor! It's not in me!”_

_“I just…” She shook her head, “I can't tell.”_

_“No, please, don't. Don't. I swear, I-”_

_“I got no choice.”_

_He sobbed, “I swear, it's not in me, it's not in me! Don't, don't. Please!_

_Dean fired twice before the image of them distorted in a bright flash._

**_In a motel room…_ **

Sam laid on the floor beside his motel bed as he came out of his vision gasping.

Angel was kneeling beside him trying to help him through it, “Just breathe, Sammy.” She helped him sit up, “What’d you see?”

The door opened and Dean entered, chewing on jerky and carrying a six-pack of beer. 

He frowned when he saw the two of them, “Sam?”

Panic registered on the youngest Winchesters face, “ _No…_ ”

**_In the Impala…_ **

Dean drove as Sam navigated with a GPS device that spoke directions.

_“Continue on O-R Two-Two-Four West.”_

“There are only two towns in the US named Rivergrove.”

“How come you're so sure it's the one in Oregon?”

Sam had a flashback to the vision- _the Oregon poster on the wall_.

“There was a picture.” He explained, “Crater Lake.”

Angel leaned forward, “What else?”

“I saw a dark room, some people, and a guy tied to a chair.”

Dean turned, “And I ventilated him?”

“Yeah. You thought there was something inside him.”

“What, a demon? Was he possessed?”

“Well, all your weirdo visions are always tied to the Yellow-Eyed Demon somehow… so was there any black smoke? Did we try to exorcise it?”

“No.” He shook his head, “ _Nothing_ , you just plugged him, _that's it_.”

“Well, I'm sure I had a good reason.”

“I sure hope so.”

Dean glared at him, “What does that mean? I'm not gonna waste an innocent man.” Sam raised his eyebrows, “I _wouldn't_!”

“I never said you _would_!”

“ _Fine_!”

“ _Fine_!”

“Hey, hey!” Angel yelled over them, “None of that's helping. We don't know what's going on yet, okay? We just know that the dude in the chair is a part of it so lets find him, and see what's what.”

Dean grumbled, “ _Fine_.”

Sam grumbled next, “ _Fine_.”

**_On Rivergrove St…_ **

The Winchesters pulled into town past a large billboard advertising Crater Lake. They pulled up in front of a wooden shop; out front the older man from Sam's vision was cleaning a rifle. He wore a short-sleeved blue shirt with a multi-pocket brown vest. The three of them got out and approached him.

Dean nodded, “Morning.”

“Good morning.” He looked between the three of them, “Can I help you?”

“Yeah.” He pulled out a badge, “Uh, Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, and Dusty Hill. _U.S. Marshalls_.”

“What's this about?”

“We're looking for someone.” 

“A young man, early twentieth.” Sam answered as his mind flashed back to the vision, “He'd have a- a thin scar right below his hairline.”

“What'd he do?”

“Well, nothing. We're actually looking for someone else, but we think this young man could help us.”

“Yeah, he's not in any kind of trouble or anything.” Dean shrugged, “Well, _not yet_.”

Angel glanced down at the man's left arm, noticing a distinctive tattoo, “I think maybe you know who he is… _Master Sergeant_.” She smiled when he met her eye, “My dad was in the Corps, he was a Corporal.”

“What company?”

“Echo-2-1.”

Sam interjected, “So can you help us?”

He hesitated, “Duane Tanner's got a scar like that, but I _know_ him. Good kid, keeps his nose clean.”

“Oh, I'm sure he does.” Angel nodded, “Do you know where he lives?”

“With his family, up Aspen Way.”

“Thanks.”

She turned and walked away, her brothers following. The man frowned as he watched them go. Across the street, Sam bumped into a telephone pole and glanced at it in passing. He stopped; carved into the wood is a single word:

_CROATOAN_

They approached the pole and Sam pointed at the word with a significant look, “Hey.”

Dean read it with furrowed brows, “ _Croatoan_?”

“Youve got to be kidding me…” Angel shook her head but Dean looked between her and Sam blankly, she sighed, “ _Roanoke? Lost colony_? Ring a bell?”

Sam rolled his eyes, “Dean, did you pay _any_ attention in history class?”

“Yeah! Shots heard 'round the world, _How bills become laws_ …”

“That's not _school_ .” Sam scoffed as he shook his head, “That's _Schoolhouse Rock_.”

Dean rolled his eyes, “ _Whatever_.”

“Roanoke was one of the first English colonies in America.” Angel explained, interrupting their squabble, “In the late 1500s. Now is it ringing any bells?”

“Oh yeah, yeah, I _do_ remember that.” He nodded as recognition flashed in his eyes, “The only thing they left behind was a single word carved in a tree.” He pointed to the tree behind Sam, “ _Croatoan_.”

“Yeah.” Sam nodded, “And I mean, there were theories- _Indian raid, disease_ , but nobody knows what _really_ happened. They were all just _gone_ . I mean, _wiped out overnight_.”

“You boys don't think that's what's going on here?” Angel frowned, “I mean…”

Sam looked at her grimly, “Whatever I saw in my head, it sure wasn't good.”

“Okay…” Angel sighed, “But what do you guys think could do that?”

“Well, I mean, _like I said…”_ Dean turned to Sam with a sigh, “All of your _weirdo_ visions are always tied to the Yellow-Eyed Demon somehow, _so…_ ”

“We should get help.” Sam said hurriedly, “ _Bobby_ , uh, _Ellen_ maybe?”

“Yeah, that's a good idea.” Dean pulled out his cell phone, then frowned at it, “I don't have a signal.”

“Yeah…” Angel frowned, “Me either.”

Sam did the same, shaking his head, “I don't either.”

They walked to a pay phone, which Dean picked up. Once he heard the ‘ _out of service_ ’ beeping he clicked the receiver several times.

“Line's dead.” He frowned as he hung up, “I'll tell you _one_ thing. If I was gonna massacre a town, _that'd_ be my first step.”

**_At the Tanner house…_ **

The Impala was parked outside a cabin-like house in the middle of nowhere as the Winchester approached the front. By the door was a small, tacky plaque that read ‘ _BORN TO FISH; FORCED TO WORK’._ Sam knocked on the door, and a teenaged boy with dark spiked hair opened it.

“Yeah?”

Dean flashed his badge, “We're looking for Duane Tanner; he lives here, right?”

“Yeah… He's my brother.”

“Can we talk to him?”

“Oh.” He shrugged nonchalantly, “He's not here right now.”

Dean pursed his lips as he studied the kid, “Do you know where he is?”

“Yeah, he went on a fishing trip up by Roslyn Lake.”

“What about your parents?” Angel asked as she studied him as well, “They home?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, turning to look inside for a beat, “They're inside.”

“Jake?” Mr. Tanner yelled from inside, “Who is it?”

Dean regarded him once Mr. Tanner appeared, “Hi, U.S. Marshals, sir, we're looking for your son Duane.”

“Wh-why?” He frowned, “He's not in trouble, is he?”

“No, no, no.” Angel offered a smile, “We just need to ask him a couple of routine questions, that's all.”

Sam studied the older man, “When's he due back from his trip?”

“I'm not sure…”

“Well, maybe your wife knows.”

“No, I don't know.” He quickly dismissed as he shook his head, “She's not here right now.”

Angel raised a brow from him to Jack, “Your son said she was.”

Jake looked over at her, “Did I?”

“She's getting groceries. _So_ , when Duane gets back, there's a number where he can get a hold of you?”

“Oh no.” Dean dismissed, “We'll just check in with you later.” They turned and walked down the steps as the Tanners shut the door behind them, “That was kind of creepy, right?”

“Yeah, i'll say.” Angel scoffed, “A little too _Stepford_.”

Sam agreed, “Big time.”

Looking furtively about, they snuck around to the back of the house, crouching below a window. 

**_Inside the Tanner house…_ **

Beverly Tanner was tied to a chair and gagged. Jake came around behind her, and put his hands on her shoulders.

“It's okay, Mom. It's not gonna hurt.”

Mr. Tanner came out of the next room with a kitchen knife. Jake stood in front of his mother and casually rolled up one sleeve. His father cut into his arm and let the blood drip onto a wound in Beverly’s shoulder.

Outside, Angel, Sam and Dean armed themselves before kicking down the back door. As they rush in, handguns raised, Mr. Tanner rushed at them with a knife. Dean shot him thrice in the chest. As Angel shot at Jake, he jumped out the window dodging the shots, shattering glass, and darted off into the woods. Sam ran over and aimed at him through the window but hesitated, giving him time to get away.

**SECTION TWO**

**_At the town clinic…_ **

Beverly was in the back seat of the Impala as they pulled up in front of the clinic. Angel and Sam helped her out and led her to the door as Dean opened the trunk and looked around furtively. Angel and Sam lead Beverly inside the quiet, dim and empty clinic.

“Hello?” He called out, “We need a doctor here!”

The young woman from Sam's vision, Pam, rushed out, concerned, “Mrs. Tanner, what happened?”

Angel answered, “She's been attacked.”

“Doctor Lee?”

The doctor rushed in, “Bring her in.”

Pam led the three of them into a back room, and Dr. Lee followed. Dean entered, carrying the canvas-covered body of Mr. Tanner hoisted over his shoulders.

“Is that-”

“Mr. Tanner?”

Dr. Lee frowned, “Was he attacked too?”

“Uh… _No_ , actually, _he_ did the attacking and then he got himself shot.”

“ _Shot_?”

“Yeah.”

“And who are you?”

“U.S. Marshal. I'd show you my badge, but uh…”

“Oh.” When he motioned to the body Dr. Lee hurried, “Sorry. Bring him back here.”

**_In the lab…_ **

Beverly was seated on a stool with her shirt off as Dr. Lee sat across from her, treating the wound on her left shoulder.

“Wait, you said Jake _helped_ him? Your _son_ Jake?”

Beverly nodded as she sobbed, “They beat me. Tied me up.”

Pam put a hand to her mouth, “I don't believe it…”

“ _Pam_.” Dr. Lee dismissed before turning back to the sobbing woman, “Beverly… Do you have any idea why they would act this way? Any history of chemical dependency?”

“No, of course not. I don't know _why_ . One minute they were my husband and my son. And the next, _they had the devil in them_.”

The Winchesters were all listening to her and they shared a look at her last words.

“We need to talk.” Angel instructed before leading her brothers out of the lab, “ _Those guys were whacked out of their gourds_.”

“What do you guys think?” Sam looked between them, “Multiple demons, _mass possession_?”

“If it is a possession there could be more.” Dean said grimly, “I mean, _God knows_ how many, _it could be like a friggin' Shriner convention_.”

Sam grumbled, “ _Great_.”

“Of course, that's _one_ way to wipe out a town.” Dean glared, “ _You take it from the inside_.”

“I don't know…” Sam frowned, “We didn't see any of the demon smoke with Mr. Tanner, or any of the other usual signs.”

“Well, _something_ turned him into a monster.” Angel turned her glared on Sam, “And you know what? If you woulda taken out the other one there'd be one _less_ to worry about.”

“I'm _sorry_ , alright?” His voice rose at her steady glare, “I _hesitated_ , Dean, _it was a kid_!”

“No, it was an _it_ .” She corrected, “Look, right now isn't the best time to let your _bleeding heart_ affect the job, Sam.”

Dr. Lee stalked out of the lab, her heels clicking loudly on the floor.

Sam turned his attention to her, “How's the patient?”

“Terrible! What the hell happened out there?”

Dean shook his head, “We don't know.”

“ _Yeah_? Well, you just killed my next door neighbor.”

“ _We didn't have a choice_.”

“ _Maybe so_ , but we need the county Sheriff. _I_ need the coroner…”

“Phones are down.”

“I know, _I tried_. Tell me you have a police radio in the car?”

“Yeah we do.” Sam answered, “But it crapped out just like everything else.”

“I don't understand what is happening.”

Dean sighed, “How far is it to the next town?”

“It's about forty miles down to Sidewinder.”

“Alright, I'm gonna go down there, see if I can find some help.” He clapped Sam and Angel on the shoulder, “My partners'll stick around, keep you guys safe.”

“ _Safe_ from _what_?”

“We'll get back to you on that.”

**_Later on…_ **

Sam was leaning against a counter, staring at the body of Mr. Tanner as Angel paced agitatedly. Dr. Lee was nearby, looking at something in a microscope.

“ _Huh_.”

Angel and Sam both turned at that, “What?”

“His lymphocyte percentage is pretty high. His body was fighting off a viral infection.”

“Really?” Angel raised a brow, “What kind of virus?”

“Can't say for sure.”

“Do you think an infection could have made him act like that?”

“None that I've ever heard of. I mean, some can cause dementia, but not _that_ kind of violence. And besides, I've never heard of one that did _this_ to the blood.”

“Did what?”

“There's this… _weird residue_. If I didn't know better I'd say it was sulfur.”

Angel and Sam looked at each other in shock, “ _Sulfur_.”

“I dont understand…” Angel and Sam stared intently at Beverly, still huddled on the stool in the lab, “Are you saying my husband and Jake had a disease?”

“That's what we're trying to find out. Now, during the attack, do you remember… did you have any _direct contact_ with their blood?”

“ _Oh my God_. You don't think I've got this virus, do you?”

“Beverly…” Dr. Lee frowned, “I don't know what to think, but with your permission, we'll take a blood sample.”

Beverly nodded and laid her hand gently on Dr. Lee’s. Suddenly she grabbed Dr. Lee’s wrist and yelled in rage, lashing out with her other hand. Sam advanced on her and she tossed him against a glass cabinet, which shattered. She picked up a scalpel as Angel took a fire extinguisher from the wall. As she advanced on her, still yelling, Angel knocked her out.

Later on, Dr. Lee was once again looking through the microscope as Pam huddled against the far wall.

“What if we all have it?” She sobbed, “What if we all go crazy?”

“ _You've got to stay calm_.” Dr. Lee instructed, “All we can do is wait. The Marshal's bringing help.”

“I can't, I- I've got to go.”

As she rushed towards the door Dr. Lee called for her, “Pam!”

“No, you don't understand. _My boyfriend's out there_ , I gotta make sure he's okay.”

She hurried out of the lab, and Sam followed her all the way to the lobby, “Alright, wait, wait. _Please_ . I know you're upset, alright? But it's safer if you stay here for now. Help _is_ coming.” He heard the Impala pull up outside and relief filled his face, “There they are.”

Dean's voice was heard outside, “Ang? Sammy? Open up!”

As Angel came into the room, Sam opened the door to let in Dean and the older man from earlier, Mark, inside. Both carrying their own weapons.

Angel looked between them, “You two get to a phone?”

“Road block.” Dean answered before turning to Mark, “I'm gonna have a word. Doc's inside.”

After he walked away Sam turned to their brother, “What's going on out there, Dean?”

“Man, _I don't know_ , I feel like Chuck Heston in the Omega Man. I mean, Sarge is the only _sane_ person I could find. What are we dealing with, do you two know?”

“ _Oh yeah_.” Angel scoffed grimly, “The Doc thinks it's a virus.”

“Okay, _great_. What do you two think?” 

Sam looked from Angel to him, “We think she's right.”

“ _Really_?”

“Sounds crazy but _yeah_ .” Angel crossed her arms, “We’re pretty sure the infected are trying to infect others with _blood-to-blood_ contact. Oh, _but it gets better_ . The uh, the _virus_ ? _Leaves traces of sulfur in the blood_.”

Dean gaped, “ _A demonic virus_?”

“Yeah, more like _demonic germ warfare_.” Sam shook his head, “At least it explains why I've been having visions.”

“ _It's like a Biblical plague_.”

“You don't know how right you are, Dean.” Sam agreed, “I've been poring through Dad's journal, found something about the Roanoke colony.”

“ _And_?”

“Dad always had a theory about Croatoan. He thought it was a demon's _name_ . Sometimes known as _Deva_ or sometimes _Resheph_ . _A demon of plague and pestilence_.”

“Well, that- that's _terrific_ .” His eyes read fire at the news, “Why _here_ , why _now_?”

“I have no idea.” Sam shook his head, “But guys, who _knows_ how far this thing can spread. We gotta get out of here, _we gotta warn people_.”

“Yeah and that's only _if_ we can get past the swarm of infected that's probably waiting for us.” Angel shook her head, pursing her lips, “Any ideas, boys?”

“They've got one!” Marks yell pierced through their musings, “In here!”

The three of them looked at each other quickly before running into the next room. 

Dean looked to Mark as he hurried over, “What do you mean?”  
  
“The wife.” Sam answered, “She's infected.”

“We've gotta take care of this.” Mark instructed as Angel came to stand beside him and in front of the boys, “We can't just leave her in there. My neighbors, they were _strong_. The longer we wait, the stronger she'll get.”

“I’m with him, man.” Angel motioned behind her, centering her eyes on Sam who wouldn't let her handle Beverly earlier, “Keeping one of them in here puts us all at risk.”

Dean barely hesitated before pulling out his gun and stalking into the lab.

Pam looked at him horrified, “You're gonna _kill_ Beverly Tanner?”

Sam turned to the Doc pleadingly, “Doctor, could there be _any_ treatment? Some kind of _cure_ for this?”

At her hesitation Dean stepped forward, pressing her, “ _Can you cure it_ ?”   
  
“For God's sake!” Dr. Lee yelled exasperated and scared, “I don't even know what _it_ is!” 

“ _I told you_ …” Mark shouted as he pointed his rifle at the door, readying himself for any sort of attack, “It's just a matter of time before she breaks through.”   
  


“Just leave her in there!” Pam yelled, “You can't shoot her like an animal!”

“We have too.” Angel looked over to her brothers, “ _Boys_.”

They went to the door of the utility room, where Beverly was being held. Angel, Dean and Mark all held their guns ready as Sam carefully opened the door. The three of them took up offensive positions. Inside, Beverly was huddled on the floor, knees drawn up, crying. 

She jumped at their approach, “Mark, what are you doing? Mark, it's- it's _them_ ! They locked me in here, they- they tried to _kill_ me! _They're_ infected, not _me_ !” She wailed, “ _Please_ , Mark! You've known me all your life! _Please_!”

Dean eyed her then turned to his brother, “You sure she's one of 'em?”

Sam nodded, his face twisted in distress. As Mark pulled back, near tears, not able to pull the trigger, Dean stepped forward.

Angel stopped him, “I'll do it.” Her voice dropped as she gave him a look, “We don't need you putting holes in anybody while we're here.”

He clenched his jaw but nodded nonetheless. Angel stepped forward, aimed her gun at the wailing woman and fired twice.

**SECTION THREE**

The shades were drawn as Mark and Angel peered through them beside each other cautiously. She shook her head and readied her hand gun when she noticed a few people were gathered outside, apparently just _waiting_.

She mumbled, “What the hell are they doing?”

Mark shook his head, “I’d say trying to figure out a way to get us _out_ or get them _in_.”

Behind them, Sam pulled out a hunting knife and checked the blade as Dean loaded a shotgun. As he did so, Sam sent anxious looks at him and the gun respectively. The sound of glass breaking followed by Pam's scream caused them all to tense and run into the lab.

“Oh God!” Pam stood above a broken vial of blood, freaking out, “Is there any on me? _Am I okay_ ?!”   
  


Dr. Lee stepped in front of her, looking her body over before instantly consoling her, “You're clean, _you're okay_.”

“Why are we staying here?” She pleaded with the doctor, “ _Please, let's just go_!”

“No, we can't.” Dean shook his head, “Those things are _everywhere_.”

Pam sank down, trying to stop herself from hyperventilating, “ _Oh god_ …”   
  
Dr. Lee eyed her warily and worriedly, “Hey, shh, shh.”

Angel walked back over to the three men quietly, “Alright well she's right about not being able to stay here. We need to get the survivors to- to someplace safe, _not the middle of ground freakin zero._ Maybe the Roadhouse or Bobbys or somewhere else we deem safe enough.”

Sam agreed, “ _And_ we need to warn people about what's coming.”

“Yeah, good point.” Dean nodded with a grimace, “Night of the Living Dead didn't exactly end _pretty_.”

“Well, I'm not sure we've got a choice.” Mark added, “Lots of folks up here are good with rifles. Even with all your hardware we're- we're _easy_ targets. So unless you've got some explosives…”

The boys looked over to Angel expectantly, knowing damn well that was her specialty when she was a teen.

She looked between them like they'd gone nuts, “I don't run around with dynamite in my duffle, boys. _But..._ ” 

She tapped her lips as she looked around, searching, before her eyes landed on top of a shelf that held multiple bottles of medical supplies.

She smirked as she walked over and grabbed one of the bottles, “We could _make_ something.”

Someone pounding frantically at the front door caught their attention and the four of them ran out towards the man's voice, “Hey! Let me in, let me in! _Please_!”

Mark hurried when he saw who was on the other side of the door, “It's Duane Tanner!” 

Once the door was opened Duane limped in, sweaty and holding a backpack, “ _Thank god._ ”

“Duane…” Mark looked him over, following him to the other room, “You okay?”

The Winchesters backed up and Dean turned to Sam, “That's the guy that I, uh…” 

He clicked his tongue earning an eye roll from Sam, “Yeah.”

Duane looked at Mark in a panic, “Who else is in here?”

When he tried to walk further into the room Dean grabbed his arm roughly, a distrustful scowl present as day on his face, “Hey, _whoa, whoa_ , easy there, chief. Hey Doc!” She popped out of the lab, “Give Duane a good once-over, would you?”

Dr. Lee led the group into the lab, “Pam?”  
  
Duane looked back at Dean, “Who are you?”

“Never mind who _I_ am.” He motioned with his gun, “ _Doc_.”

She nodded then scurried around, “Yeah, okay.”

“Duane.” Mark regarded him, “Where you been?”

“I was on a fishing trip up by Roslyn. I came back this afternoon. I… I saw Roger McGill being dragged out of his house by _people we know_ !” His voice raised with panic and confusion, “ _They started cutting him with knives_ ! I _ran_. I've been hiding in the woods ever since.” He looked around frantically, “Has anybody seen my mom and dad?”

Dean turned to Sam and Angel with a joking tone, “ _Awkward…_ ”

Duane was sitting on the stool when Dr. Lee surveyed his leg that appeared to have a deep gash in it, “You're bleeding.”

Her pained and scared look flew up to everyone in the room who immediately tensed.

Dean scowled then motioned to him, “Where'd you get that?”

“I was running.” Duane dismissed, “I must have tripped.”

“You _tripped?”_ Angel crossed her arms, tensing, “Yeah buddy real _freakin_ convenient.”

  
“Tie him up.” Dean ordered, turning slightly, “There’s rope in there.”

“Wait…” 

Duane got up to protest but Dean immediately pulled his gun on him, cocking it loudly, and yelled causing the kid to jump in fear, “ _Sit down_!”

“I'm sorry, Duane, he's right.” Mark shook his head when Duane looked to him for help, “We've gotta be careful.”

“ _Careful_? About what?”

Dean kept his gun aimed straight for Duane, “Did they bleed on you?”

“ _What_ ?”   
  


Dean yelled again, making him jump, “Answer the question!” 

“No, what the hell?!” He panicked, “ _No_!”

“Doc?” Sam turned to her, “Any way to know for sure, any test?”

She looked pained, “I've studied Beverly's blood work backwards and forwards.”

Duane turned at that, “My mom?”

She took a breath, carrying on, “It took three hours for the virus to incubate. The sulfur didn't appear in the blood until then, so… _no_ , there'd be no way of knowing.” She looked at the kid grimly, “Not until _after_ Duane turns.”

“Well, then we tie him down until we know if he’s the enemy or not.” Angel motioned, going over to help Mark do just that, “Come on. Lets get him secure.”

“Wait.” Sam pulled her away before looking from her to Dean, “I gotta talk to you guys. _Now_.”

Dean glanced at Mark, who nodded. They left and Mark motioned to Duane.

“Sit in that chair.”

**_In another room…_ **

“This is my vision.” Sam looked between them pointedly before his worried eyes met Deans, “ _It's happening_.”

Dean nodded, “I figured.”

“Well, we just won't kill him yet.” Angel instructed, “We’ll wait till he shows signs like Beverly so we can make sure.”

“Well, I think we're pretty damn sure.” Dean argued with a scoff, “Guy shows up out of nowhere, he's got a cut on his leg, _his whole family's infected_?”

“ _Dean_.” Angel shook her head, “We can keep him tied up so we can know for sure.”

“ _For what_ ? For him to Hulk out and infect somebody else? _No thanks_ , can't take that chance.”

He started to push past them but Sam stopped him with a hand on his chest.

“Hey look, man, I'm not happy about this, okay? But it's a tough job and you both know that.”

“It's _supposed_ to be tough, Dean.” Sam said, “We're _supposed_ to struggle with this, _that's the whole point_.”

“What does _that_ buy us?”

“A clear conscience, for one!”

“Well, _it's too late for that_.”

Sam stopped him from leaving again, “What the hell's happened to you?”

Angel walked over to them ready to play mediator, “Boys, come on-”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You might kill an innocent man, and you don't even care! You don't act like yourself anymore, Dean. Hell, _you know what_ ? You're acting like one of those _things_ out there.”

Fire blazed in Dean's eyes, “ _Mm-hm_.”

Dean pushed past Sam a third time and when he tried to stop him again Dean hurled him against the far wall. He rushed back into the hall and locked the door behind him as Angel ran after him.

“Dean!” She rattled the lock as Sam came up beside her, “Hey!”

“Open the damn door, Dean!” Sam pounded on the door, “Don't do it, Dean! _Don't_!”

Dean walked through the hallway, exactly like Sam’s vision. He turned towards Duane's door as he pulled out his gun and slid out the clip, tapped it on the gun, then replaced it before going inside. 

“No, no, no, no, no, you're not gonna…” Duane blubbered, “No, I swear! _It's not in me_!”

“Oh God.” Pam sobbed, “ _We're all gonna die_.”

Mark turned his head to Dean, unsure, “Maybe he's telling the truth.”

“No, _he's_ not _him_ ,” Dean cocked the gun, “Not anymore.”

“Stop it!” Duane yelled hysterically and looked to Dr. Lee, eyes pleading, “Ask _her_ , ask the doctor! _It's not in me_!”

“I… I…” She swallowed in return at Dean's questioning look shaking her head as tears dropped from her eyes, “I can't tell.”

“Please, dont.” Duane sobbed at Dean, “ _Don't_ , please. I swear, it's not in me, _it's not in me_ , I swear. I- I swear it's not in me!.”

Dean’s jaw clenched and he tried to pull himself together, to do the job his dad taught him to do, “I got no choice.”

He pointed the gun at Duane with his finger hovering over the trigger, Duane sobbed as the others watched in tense silence. An inner battle was mulling inside him. He knew what he was supposed to do, he knew what his father would expect of him, but that nagging feeling scratched at the back of his head, causing him to falter. 

Dean trembled, hesitated, and finally lowered the gun with a grimace, “ _Damn it_!”

Duane panted in relief as Dean left the room.

**_Later on…_ **

The Winchesters sat across from eachother at separate tables as they prepared the explosives into glass bottles with rags dangling out of them. A tense silence stretched between them as Sam kept sending curious looks to Dean. 

Dr. Lee hesitantly entered the room, hands in her pockets as she looked between them, “It's been over four hours. Duane's blood is still clean. I don't think he's infected. I'd like to untie him, if that's all right…”

Angel shared a look with both of her brothers but her eyes landed on Deans questioningly. He nodded before lowering his head. 

Angel turned back to the doctor, “Cut him loose.”

Once she left Sam turned to Dean, “You know I'm gonna ask you why.”

He nodded, avoiding both of their eyes and focusing on what he was doing, “Yeah, I know.”

“So _why_?” Sam prodded, “Why didn't you do it?”

Angel sighed as Dean pointedly ignored the question.

She got up and headed towards the door, “We need more alcohol.”

Sam shook his head and stopped her, “Ill get it.”

He went into the dispensary and found Pam already there, “How you holding up, Pam?”

“Good. It'll all be over soon.” She shut the door and locked it but Sam's back was turned so he didn't notice, “In fact, _I've been waiting for this the whole time_.”

He turned curiously, “For what?”

“To get you alone.”

She lashed out and knocked him to the ground. Once she straddled his chest, she hit him, hard, across the face. Outside the room, Angel, Dean and Mark all heard the commotion and armed themselves. Pam had a scalpel in one hand, which she sliced across Sams chest and then across her own palm, before placing her wound over his. Dean kicked the door open and shot her three times in the back. She convulsed and fell to the floor, dead. All four of them looked at each other in shock.

Sam, who was groaning and holding his chest, reached out a hand to his brother. Dean looked him over worriedly and carefully as he started to lean in to help him up but Mark pulled him back.

“She bled on him. He's got the virus.”

Sam pulled his hand back at his words, looking down at his wound, and realizing it’s true. Dean turned to Angel with a devastated look before they both looked back down at their brother with the same look. 

**SECTION FOUR**

Sam now sat on the stool, a bandage pressed to his chest. Angel and Dean had the doctor check his wound and bandage it when they filled her and Duane in. His eyes were down, and he looked near tears as the others surrounded him. From the door, Mark and Duane eyed the youngest Winchester like he was a ticking time bomb. The doc had her head down several feet beside Sam. Angel was right next to her little brother, looking down at him worriedly as she rubbed his back, her free hand resting on his arm.

Dean paced angrily and just as worriedly, “Doc, check his wound again, would you?” Dean came to a stop in front of Sam who wouldn't meet his or Angel's eyes, and barked at the doctor when all she did was stare at Sam in fear, “Doctor!”

She jumped at him but shuffled over to Sam as Mark stepped forward, “What's she need to examine him for? _You saw what happened_.”

Dr. Lee took a breath and looked into Sam's eyes, “Did her blood actually _enter_ your wound?”

“Come on!” Mark bellowed, “Of course it did!” 

Angel glared, “We don't know that for sure!”

Duane interjected, “We can't take a chance.” 

“You know what we have to do.”

Dean studied the two shuffling men, dismissing them with a hard look, “ _Nobody is shooting my brother_.”

“He isn't gonna be your brother much longer.” Duane stressed, “You said it yourself.”

“Hey!” Angel yelled before Dean could, locking the two strangers with a warning, “ _Nobody_ is shooting him, _end of story_.”

Duane angrily pointed at Dean, “ _He_ was gonna shoot _me_!”

Fire showed in Dean's eyes as he took a step toward Duane, only stopping when Angel grabbed his arm from behind, “You don't shut your pie-hole, I still might!”

“Guys…” Sam's voice cut through the yelling, pleading to both of his siblings, “They're right. _I'm infected_ ; just give me the gun and I'll do it myself.”

Angel tensed, “Sammy-”

Dean instantly dismissed him, his eyes softening when he looked to Sam, “ _Forget_ it.”

Sams centered them with a determined eye, “I'm _not_ gonna become one of those things.”

“Hold on- _just hold on a minute._ ” Angel wiped her face, racking for something in her brain, anything that could help, “ _No ones dying right now_ . We- we can figure something out. _We’ve still got time_.”

“ _Time for what_ ?” Mark scoffed at them from the other side of the room before turning his hard eyes to Angel and Dean, “Look, I understand he's your brother, and I'm sorry, _I am_.” Mark pulled his handgun out causing Sam to stiffen up, “But we gotta take care of this.”

Within a beat of a second, Angel was instantly in front of Sam with her gun out, cocked and pointed at Mark, rage in her eyes, “You make one move on him and you'll be dead before you hit the ground!”

“Did you hear her? Dean held that same fire in his gaze, “ _Is that clear_?!”

Sam looked between them, “Guys!”

Mark's own voice rose as he grew more and more frustrated, “Then what are we supposed to do?!”

Dean turned back to Sam, studying him before sending a look to Angel and tossing Mark his keys, “Get the hell out of here, that's what. Take my car. You've got the explosives, there's an arsenal in there.” He looked between Duane and Dr. Lee, “You two go with him. You've got enough firepower to handle anything now.”

Sam looked from him to Angel in shock as the blonde lowered her weapon and nodded at Dean that she agreed with the plan.

Mark looked between them, “What about you two?”

Angel and Dean shared a knowing look before they each turned to Mark with conviction in their eyes. His mouth dropped as he realized what they were doing.

“Guys, _no_ .” Sam whispered pleadingly, “ _No_. Go with them. This is your only chance!”

Dean smirked down at him as he shook his head, “You're not gonna get rid of us that easy.”

“No, he's right.” Mark shook his head, “ _Come with us_.”

“No…” Angel shook her head, coming to stand next to Sam, who had more tears forming in his eyes, before looking at Mark, “We’re staying.”

Mark's shoulders slumped and his face went tight, “Okay, it's _your_ funerals.”

Dean led them out the door, and Dr. Lee stopped at the entrance, “I'm sorry.” She looked at each of them, “Thanks for everything, Marshalls.”

“Oh, _actually…”_ Dean shook his head, “We're not really Marshals.”

“Um.” She frowned, “ _Oh_.”

When she left, Dean shut and locked the door behind her. He turned slowly to face Sam, who started to cry from beside Angel.

“Wish we had a deck of cards…” Dean shrugged, forcing a chuckle, “Or a foosball table or something.”

“Guys, _don't do this_.” Sam cried, “Just get the hell out of here.”

Dean shook his head, “No way.”

“Give me my gun, and leave.”

“ _Sam_ .” Angel snapped, “For the last time, _no_. We’re not going anywhere.”

Sam slammed the table beside him, “This is the dumbest thing you two have ever done!”

“Psh, i seriously doubt that.” Angel crossed her arms, “Remember that time in Tampa when Dean and I met those twins? Uh… _Bethany and Bobby_?”

Dean shuddered at the memory as Sam looked down, “ _I'm sick_ . It's over for me but it doesn't have to be for either of you. _You guys can keep going_.”

Dean's jaw clenched, “Who says I want to?”

“ _What_?”

Dean crossed to the other wall and pulled a handgun out of his waistband before sitting on the file cabinet, “I'm _tired_ , Sam. _I'm tired of this job, this life… this weight on my shoulders_ . I'm _tired_ of it.” He met grim eyes with their older sister, a look Sam didn't miss, “I think we both are.”

“So _what_ , you two are just going to _give up_? You're just gonna lay down and die? Look, I know this stuff with Dad has-”

“ _You're wrong_.” Dean interjected, “It's not about Dad. I mean, part of it is, sure, but…”

“What is it about?”

Before he could answer, they heard a noise outside. A moment later there was a knocking on the door. Dean picked up his gun as Angel readied hers. She opened the door to reveal the doctor.

“You'd better come see this.”

Angel shared a look with her brothers before they followed. All six survivors stood just outside the clinic; everything else in sight was deathly silent.

“There's no one. Not anywhere.” Dr. Lee explained, “They've all just… _vanished_.”

**_The next morning…_ **

Dr. Lee looked through the microscope as Sam was seated on the exam table, “Well, it's been five hours and your blood's still clean. I don't understand it but I think you dodged a bullet.”

“But I was _exposed_ . How could I not be _infected_?”

“I don't know. But you're just _not_. I mean, you compare it with the Tanner samples…” She looked through another microscope and frowned, “What the hell?”

“What?”

“Their blood. There's no trace of the virus. No sulfur, _nothing_.”

**_Outside the clinic…_ **

Mark and Duane loaded up a truck as Dr. Lee stood in the doorway of the clinic.

“Hey, the Sarge and I are getting the hell out of here, heading south.” Duane said to her, “You should come.”

“I'd better get over to Sidewinder, get the authorities up here. _If_ they'll believe me.” She waved, “Take care.”

Mark waved to her and to the Winchesters who were leaning against the Impala.

Angel earned the doctors attention, And our brother?”

“He's going to be fine.” She smiled, “No signs of infection.”

She went back inside as Mark and Duane pulled away in the truck. 

Dean turned to Sam who put his arms up, “Hey man, don't look at me. _I got no clue_.”

“I swear, _I'm gonna lose sleep over this one_ . I mean, why _here_ , why _now_?”

“Also…” Angel looked between them with wide eyes, “ _Where the hell did everybody go_?”

“Yeah! _It's like they just friggin' melted_!”

Sam glanced between them, “Why was _I_ immune?”

“ _Yeah_ . You know what? _That's a good question_.” Dean shook his head, “You know, I'm already starting to feel like this is the one that got away?”

The three of them got in the impala and pulled away from town.

**_On the road…_ **

Mark drove his pickup down a dark two-lane road with Duane in the passenger's seat.

“You mind pulling over up ahead there?”

Mark pulled onto the shoulder and stopped the truck, “Alright.”

“I gotta make a call.”

Mark gave him a confused look, “No phone out here.”

“I got it covered.”

When he pulled out a small knife, Mark looked at him crazily, “What the hell is that?”

In a quick motion, Duane lashed out, slitting Mark's throat. He caught the blood in a metal bowl, just like the one Meg used to use and sat back, dipping his hand in the blood and swirling it around. Duane's eyes went demonic-black as he spoke into the bowl.

“It's over, you'll be pleased. I don't think any more tests are necessary.” He smiled down into the bowl, “The Winchester boy, _definitely_ immune, _as expected_.” He paused, “Yes, of course. Nothing left behind.”

**SECTION FIVE**

**_On a bridge…_ **

The Impala was parked by the side of a road, overlooking a river as the Winchesters leaned against a fence and enjoyed a beer together.

“So. _Last night_.” Sam looked over to Dean and Angel, “You want to tell me what the hell you two were talking about?”

Deans brows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

“ _What do I mean_ ? I _mean, you_ said you were tired of the job and Angel _you_ agreed. And that it wasn't just because of Dad.”

“Sam…” Angel sighed looking out to the water, “Can't you just forget about it?”

“ _No_ , I can't. _No way_.”

“Come on man…” Dean frowned, “We thought all three of us were going to die. You can't hold that over us.”

“ _No, no, no_ . You can't pull that crap with me.” Sam looked between them pointedly, “ _Talk_.”

Dean challenged, “And if we don't?”

“Then I guess I'll just have to keep asking until one of you guys _do_.”

“I don't know, man… I just think maybe we ought to…” He frowned, shrugging, “ _Go to the Grand Canyon_.”

“ _What_?”

“That's actually a good idea.” Angel mused, “I mean, we’ve been back and forth across the country but we’ve never been to the Grand Canyon.”

“ _Or_ we could go to T.J. Or _Hollywood._ ” Dean smirked, “See if we can bang Lindsey Lohan.”

Sam shook his head, “You two arent making any sense.”

“Lets take a break from all this.” Dean explained, “Why do we gotta get stuck with all the responsibility, you know? Why can't we live life a little bit?”

“Why are you saying all this?” Dean shook his head and turned away as Angel avoided Sam's eyes, “No, no, no, come on guys. _I’m your brother._ So whatever weight you guys are carrying, let me help a little bit.”

“We can't, Sam.” Angel's jaw tensed, “We _promised_.”

“ _Who_?”

“ _Dad_.”

“What are you talking about?”

Angel sighed as Dean looked down, “Right before Dad died, he told us something.” He took a breath as he looked at Sam, “He told us something about _you_.”

  
“ _What_?” He looked between them with worried eyes, “What did he tell you guys?”


	10. Hunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Angel and Dean tell Sam what their father told them before he died, a distraught Sam sneaks off to Indiana without them. While there, Sam runs into Eva, a psychic who confesses to Sam she sought him out to warn him of his impending death. Angel and Dean discover Gordon is after Sam and race to find their brother in time to save him.

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

**WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

**_In a Psychiatrist's office…_ **

Dr. George Waxler, M.D.sat across from his patient, Scott Carey, as a tape recorder sat on the table between them.

“Don't be afraid, Scott. You can tell me anything, you know that. Whatever you say won't leave this room.”

“It started a little over a year ago. Migraines at first. Then I found I could do… _stuff_.”

“What do you mean, ‘ _do stuff_ ’?”

“I have this _ability_ .” Scott explained nervously as he bounced his knee, “When I touch something, I can _electrocute_ it if I want.”

“How do you know?”

“I did it to the neighbor's cat. _Its insides fried up like a hamburger_.” Dr. Waxler frowned and took note of that on his pad as his face went passive, “You don't believe me.”

“I believe that _you_ believe it.”

“Then here.” Scott leaned forward and extended his hand, “Wanna shake on it?”

Dr. Waxler ignored him, “Why would you want to kill the neighbor's cat?”

“ _I_ don't.” Scott leaned back into his chair, “ _He_ wants me to, and he doesn't want me to stop there.”

“ _Who_?”

“ _The yellow-eyed man_ . He comes to me in my dreams. Tells me to do things, _awful_ things.” He became more upset the more he talked, “But I tell him no, _no, I don't want to_!”

“What else does the yellow-eyed man tell you?”

“He…” Scott looked at him grimly, “ _He has plans for me_.”

“What kind of plans?”

**_Later on…_ **

Scott walked alone under a dark creepy train track when he stopped upon hearing something, “Hello?”

As he got to his car, he saw a dark figure reflected in the window. Scott turned slowly and saw that it was a man holding a knife. The man quickly stabbed Scott twice, killing him as blood flowed from his mouth.

**_With the Winchesters…_ **

Angel sighed as Dean looked down, “Right before Dad died, he told us something.” He took a breath as he looked at Sam, “He told us something about _you_.”

“ _What_?” He looked between them with worried eyes, “What did he tell you guys?”

“He said that…” Angel met his eyes carefully, “He said that he wanted us to watch out for you, _to take care of you_.”

Sam shook his head still not understanding, “He’s told you both that a million times, Ang.”

“This time was different, Sammy…” She shook her head as she forced herself not to get upset at the memory, “ _He said that we have to save you_.”

He frowned, “Save me from _what_?”

“He just said that we had to save you, _that nothing else mattered_ …” Dean interjected, his jaw clenching, “That if we couldn't, we'd…”

“You'd _what_ , Dean?”

“That we’d have to kill you.” Angel finished, tears sliding down her cheeks at Sam's reaction, “He said that we might have to kill you, Sammy.”

“ _Kill me_ ?” Sam scoffed in shock, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Angel shook her head as Dean looked away from him, “I mean, he must have had some kind of _reason_ for saying it, right? Did he know the demon's plans for me? Am I supposed to go Darkside or something? _What else did he say_?”

“Nothing.” Dean shook his head, “That's it, that's all he said.”

“How could you not have told me this?” Sam reeled with betrayal from Dean to Angel, “How could neither of you have said anything?”

“ _Because it was Dad_ .” Dean pleaded, “He begged us _not_ to.”

“ _Who cares_?! Take some responsibility for yourselves! You two had no right to keep this from me!”

“Sam, do you think this is what we _wanted_?” Angel yelled back with just as much emotion, “I wish to God he'd never opened his mouth! Ever since he did it’s been haunting us, Sam!”

Sam turned and took a few steps away from them, fuming, “We've just got to figure out what's going on, then- _what the hell all this means_.”

“We do?” Dean shook his head in dismissal, “I've been thinking about this, I think we should just lay low. You know? At least for a while. It'd be safer. And that way we can make sure-”

“ _What_ ?” Sam snapped, “That I don't turn _evil_ ? That I don't turn into some kind of _killer_?”

Angel looked back up at him, “That's not what we’re trying to say, Sammy.”

“ _Jeez_ .” He reeled on her with sharp sarcasm, “If you guys aren't careful one of you _will_ have to waste me one day, Angel.”

“ _That's not what we’re saying_ !” She screamed back with just as much emotion, “This whole thing is spinning faster than i can _blink_ , Sam! I mean you're- you’re immune to a _Demonic virus,_ you’re having more visions, and we don't have even an _inch_ of a clue what's going on!” Forcing herself to calm down she wiped her face, “Look, you're pissed at us for not saying anything, that's understandable. _It’s deserved_ , but Deans right, let's just lay low until we figure out our next move, okay?”

Sam angrily met her eyes, “ _Forget it_.”

“Sam, _please_ .” She moved in front of him, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to look at her tear filled eyes, “ _Please_ . Just give us some time. Give us some time to _think_ , okay? I'm _begging_ you here, _please_.”

He studied her and Dean for a second before nodding reluctantly.

**_At the Velvet Inn Motel…_ **

In the dead of night, Sam left the motel room alone, a bag over his shoulder. He walked quietly past the Impala to a small black car and opened the door with a coat hanger. Looking around carefully he got in and drove away.

**_At a cabin…_ **

_Sam stood outside a dark house, holding a piece of motel stationery from The Blue Rose Motel, with an address written on it. He approached the house cautiously and picked the lock. Once he entered the dark house he passed through a doorway and tripped a wire at floor level. The wire triggered a grenade which exploded as Sam screamed. Once the debris settled, all that was left were his smoking boots as the image dissolved into a flash of light…_

**_In a bedroom in the dead of night…_ **

Ava, a young woman around Sam's age, woke up from the vision gasping erratically.

The man behind her stirred, “Hey…” He frowned at her in worry, “Honey?” She jumped a little but looked back at him, “You okay?”

“Oh, I just had another nightmare…” She said as she took a few deep breaths, “It's fine, it's nothing. Just go back to sleep.”

“You sure?”

She laid down again, still panting, “Yeah…”

**SECTION TWO**

**_At the Roadhouse…_ **

Sam entered the Roadhouse and heads all around turned to look at him. He cleared his throat as he ignored them. Ellen was behind the bar, and looked up as he approached. 

She smiled knowingly, “Sam.”

“Hey, Ellen.” He grinned sheepishly, “You don't seem that surprised to see me.”

“Well, your sister and brother have both been calling, _worried sick_ , looking for you.

“Yeah.” Sam nodded, “Figured they might.”

She studied him, “What's going on between you three?”

“So, um…” Sam ignored the question by quickly changing the subject, “How's Jo?

“Well…” Ellen nodded, “I don't really know.”

“What do you mean?”

“I haven't seen her in weeks… She sends a postcard now and again.”

“What happened?”

“After she worked that job with you three she decided she wanted to keep on hunting.” Ellen explained, “I said ‘ _not under my roof_ ’, and she said ‘ _fine_ ’.”

Sam sighed with a frown, “So I'm probably the _last_ person you want to see right now.”

“Oh, _don't get me wrong_ …” Ellen chuckled, “I _wish_ I could blame the hell out of you three. It'd be easier. _Truth is_ , it's not your fault. Sam, _none of it is_.” She stared at him with emotion in her eyes, “I want you to know that I forgave your daddy a long time ago for what happened to my Bill. I just don't think he ever forgave himself.”

“What _did_ happen?”

“Um, so…” This time she changed the subject, “Why did you come here, sweetie?”

Sam sighed and gave her his best puppy dog eyes, “I need help…”

**_Later on…_ **

Ash looked around furtively, “What am I looking _for_ , Sam?”

“Other _people_ , other _psychics_ , like me.” Sam said lowly as he too looked around cautiously, “As many as possible, and I need a _nationwide_ search.”

“But I thought there was no way to track them all down.” Ellen frowned, “Not all of them had nursery fires like you did.”

“Well, no, but _some_ had to. Start there.”

Soon Ash emerged from his back room with a piece of paper in his hand.

“Done…” He gave it a flourish, “ _And done_.”

Sam put his beer down, “That was fast.”

“Well, _apparently_ , that's my job.” Ash took a seat next to him, “ _Make the monkey dance at the keyboard_.”

Ellen came around to them, “Just tell us what you got, Ash.”

“ _Four folks_ fit the profile _nationwide_ . Born in '83, mother died in a nursery fire, _the whole shebang_.”

“ _Four_ ?” Sam repeated, “That's _it_?”

“ _Sam Winchester from Lawrence, Kansas, Max Miller from Saginaw, Michigan, Andrew Gallagher from Guthrie, Oklahoma_ , and uh, another name. _Scott Carey_.”

“What?” Sam grabbed the paper from him, “You got an address?”

“Kind of.” Ash frowned, “The Arbor Hill Cemetery in Lafayette, Indiana. Plot four-eighty-six.”

“So he's _dead_?”

“ _Killed_ , about a month ago.”

“Killed _how_?”

“ _Stabbed_ . Parking lot. Fuzz don't have much- _no suspects_.”

“Alright.” Sam nodded and got up, “Thank you.”

As he got up to leave, Ash slapped him on the back. When he was out of eyeshot Ash picked up Sams half-full beer and started drinking it.

Ellen called out to him, “Where are you going?”

“Indiana.”

“Sam?” She called again and he stopped to turn to her, “I've gotta call Angel and Dean, I've gotta let them know where you are.”

“Ellen…” He pleaded, “I'm trying to find answers _about who I am_ , and my brother and sister mean well, but… they _can't_ protect me from that. _Please_.”

Ellen nodded reluctantly and watched him walk out.

**_In the Carey house…_ **

Sam sat with Scott’s father in his living room, talking.

“So you say you went to high school with Scott?”

“Uh, yes sir, I did. I just heard about what happened… I'm so sorry.”

“Scotty was a good boy. He changed a lot since you knew him.”

“What do you mean?”

“It started about a year ago with these headaches. And then he got depressed, paranoid… _nightmares_.”

“ _Nightmares_?” Sam carefully pressed, “Um, did he ever talk to you about his nightmares? What he saw, or…”

“No, no. He closed up with me. I tried to get him help, but nothing took. He'd just lock himself in his room for days.”

“You think maybe I could see his room?”

**_In Scott's room…_ **

Sam poked around the room which consisted of a bare bed with a sleeping bag, some bookshelves covered in books and cassette tapes. On the bedside table he saw several bottles of pills, prescribed by Dr. George Waxler. Sam looked behind him, then pocketed one bottle. He opened Scott’s closet and shoved aside the clothes to reveal a collage of yellow eyed cut out of photos or magazines, glued to the wall. He stared at them in shock.

**_At the Blue Rose Motel…_ **

Sam walked across the parking lot. As he got to the door he sensed he was being followed. With a quickness, he turned and grabbed the figure behind him, shoving her against the wall. It was Ava.

Sam glared, “Who are you?”

“Please!” She whimpered, “You're in danger.”

**_Later on…_ **

“Okay, _look…_ ” Once inside the motel room Ava paced somewhat frantically, “I know how all this sounds, but I am _not_ insane and I am _not_ on drugs. Okay? I am _normal_ , and this is way, _way_ off the map for me.”

“Alright, alright, just _calm down_. Okay?” Sam studied her, “What's your name?”

“ _Ava_.”

“ _Ava_?”

“Ava Wilson.”

“Ava, I'm _Sam Winchester_ , alright?” He nodded before getting to business, “Now, you were telling me about these _dreams_ of yours?”

“Oh, yeah, uh, okay…” Her voice became shaky again, “About a year ago I started having these, like, _headaches_ , and just, _nightmares_ , I guess, and I really didn't think much of it until I had this one dream where I saw this guy get stabbed in a parking lot.”

Sams eyes widened, “When was this?”

“Uh, about a month ago, but, anyway, a couple of days later, I found _this_.”

She pulled out a newspaper clipping and handed it to Sam; it read:

_“LOCAL MAN STABBED TO DEATH IN PARKING LOT”_

It also had a picture of Scott Carey under the title of the article.

“I saw this guy die, _days before it happened_ . I don't know why, _I don't know_ , it's just for some reason, _my dreams are coming true_ , and last night… I had _another_ one.”

“Okay…”

“About _you_ . I saw _you_ die.”

Sam nodded tensely as he shuffled, “How did you find me?”

“Oh, uh, you had motel stationery…” She rubbed her hands together tightly, “I Googled the motel, and it was real, and so I just thought that I should warn you.”

Sam scoffed and shook his head, “I don't believe this.

“Oh, oh, of course you don't.” She whimpered as she turned away from him, “ _You think I'm a total nutjob_.”

“Wait, no, no, no…” Sam dismissed, “I mean, you must be one of _us_.”

“Sorry, one of- one of _who_?”

“ _One of the Psychics_ . Like _me_ .” He explained, “Look, Ava, I have visions too, all right? _So we're connected_.”

“Okay, so, _you’re_ nuts.” Ava laughed, “That's _great_.”

“No, okay, _look_. Did your mother happen to die in a house fire?”

“ _No_ , my mother lives in Palm Beach!”

Sam frowned, “So you don't fit the pattern either…”

Ava frowned at him in confusion.

**_In the Impala…_ **

Dean drove with Angel beside him in silence. The silence was broken once her phone rang and she hurriedly picked it up.”

“Yeah?”

_“Ang, it’s Ellen.”_

“It's Ellen.” Angel told her brother as she put the phone on speaker, “Have you heard from Sam?”

_“I have, but he made me promise not to tell you guys where he is.”_

“Come on, Ellen, please.” Dean groaned, “Something bad could be going on here…”

“He’s our little brother.” Angel added, “It's our responsibility to look after that kid.”

_“Now, now… They say you can't protect your loved ones forever.” She paused as Dean and Angel shared a glare, “Well, I say screw that. What else is family for? He's in Lafayette, Indiana.”_

Relief spread through them both, “Thanks, Ellen.”

**_Back at the Blue Rose Motel…_ **

“Why can't you just leave town? _Please_ ?” Ava begged, “Before you blow up?” When he shook his head she groaned, “Oh, _god_. Why not?”

“Because there's something going on here, Ava. _With you, with me_ . I mean, there are _others_ like _us_ out there. We're all a part of _something_ , and I've got to figure out what.”

“Okay, you know what? _Screw you, buddy_ .” She got up from sitting on the bed, “Okay, ‘cause I'm a _secretary_ from Peoria and _I'm not part of anything_ ! Okay? Do you see this?” She brought up her hand and showed him her engagement ring, “ _I am getting married in eight weeks_ ! I am supposed to be at home addressing invitations, _which I am way behind on, by the way_ , but _instead_ , I drove out _here_ to save your _weirdo_ ass. But if you just want to stay here and die, _fine_ . _Me_ ? I'm due back on _Planet Earth_.”

“Don't you want to know why this is happening?” His voice stopped her as she stormed to the door, “I mean, don't these visions scare the hell out of you? Because if you walk out that door right now you might _never_ know the truth. _I need your help_.”

**_At Dr. Waxler’s Office…_ **

Ava was sitting in Waxler's office in a therapy session, to cover for Sam’s mission of covert theft.

“ _So_ , Ms. Wilson, you're new in town.”

She nodded nervously, “That's right.”

“And what made you decided to seek out therapy?”

She frowned with wide eyes, “I have no idea.

“ _No_?”

“No, I mean, I'm feeling really, _super…_ anxious right now…”

“Okay, anything else?”

“Um…” She saw Sam inching by on the window ledge outside, “Holy crap!”

“What?”

He turned to the window as a few pigeons flew off before Ava hurriedly earned his attention again, “I just remembered, when I was a kid, I swallowed like, _eight_ things of pop rocks and then drank a whole can of coke. You don't think that that counts as a suicide attempt, do you?”

**_Back at the Blue Rose Motel…_ **

Ava and Sam returned to the motel room with Scott’s files as Ava looked stunned.

“Are you okay?”

“ _Am I okay_ ? I just helped you steal some dead guy's confidential psych files.” She grinned excitedly, “I'm _awesome_!”

Sam chuckled at her as they got to business. They had the doctor's voice records sitting on the table next to an open file folder as they listened to one of the cassettes. 

_Scotts voice was heard, “It started a little over a year ago. Migraines, at first. Then I found I could do… stuff.”_

_Then Waxler's voice, “What do you mean, do stuff?”_

_“I have this ability. When I touch something, I can electrocute it if I want.”_

Outside the motel, Angel and Dean pull into the parking lot in the Impala. They both sigh in relief when they saw Sam through the window of his room.

Angel relaxed immediately, “Thank God he’s okay.”

Sam moved side, revealing Ava through the window. 

Dean grinned, “Oh, he’s better than _okay_ .” He chuckled as Angel shook her head with a smirk, “Sam, _you sly dog_!”

Back inside the room, the recording continued as Sam leaned over the table looking more concerned.

_“What else does the yellow-eyed man say?”_

_“He has plans for me. He says there's a war coming. That people like me, we're going to be the soldiers. Everything's about to change.”_

When the recording ended, Ava looked up at Sam with wide eyes, “He's not talking about us, right?”

“Yeah… I think he is.”

“But… how can _we_ turn into _that_?”

Sam sighed, “I don't-”

The window above Sam’s head shattered as it's hit with a bullet. He dived to the floor with Ava, shielding her body with his.

“Get down!” He hurriedly instructed, “Stay low!”

“Oh my god!” She screamed, “Sam, who’s shooting?!”

“I dont know!”

Across the street of the motel, Gordon was perched on a rooftop with a sniper rifle as he continued to take aim and fire at the motel room. Just as he was about to take another head-shot at Sam, Dean jumped him from behind.

“Gordon!”

Dean kicked Gordon hard, then pinned him down on his back, hitting him over and over again in the face. 

He grabbed him by the collar, “You do that to my brother, _I'll kill you_!”

Gordon put his hands up, “Dean, wait-”

As Dean went to swing again Gordon managed to grab his rifle and slam it into Dean twice, knocking him out. He stood over Dean, panting and gushing blood from his lip.

Once the fire ceased but Dean didn't come back, Angel sent a wary look to Sam's motel room. Once she saw him and the woman he was with moving, she quickly made her way towards Dean.

Slowly walking up the steps to the roof she brought her pistol out, “Dean?” She called warily then saw her brother lying motionless on the ground, “Dean!”

Before she could take another step, Gordon popped out of nowhere, grabbed her arm and slammed her into the cement wall causing her to drop her gun. His arm whipped around her throat and he instantly clenched, cutting off her air supply.

“Now, now, baby. Calm down.” He clenched tighter, grunting at her blows as she tried to get away from him, “I'm not gonna hurt you.”

**SECTION THREE**

Ava and Sam walk up the stairs and investigate the roof from which Gordon was shooting at them.

“Wait, I don't understand.” Ava frowned following him slowly, “Shouldn't we be talking to the cops?”

“Trust me, that wouldn't do us much good.” Sam bent down and picked up a bullet shell, “These are .223 caliber subsonic rounds. The guy must have put a suppressor on the rifle.”

“ _Dude_ .” Ava gaped at him, “Who _are_ you?”

“Oh… I just, uh, I just watch a lot of TJ Hooker.” He quickly pulled out his cell, “I'm gonna call my brother and sister. I think we _definitely_ need help.”

**_In an abandoned cabin…_ **

Dean and Angel were both tied to chairs a few feet away from each other as Gordon held Dean's phone to his ear and pointed his gun at Angel's head. She was gagged and glaring at Gordon as he nodded to Dean.

Dean's eyes flashed to Angels as he did as told, “Hello?”

_“Dean.”_

“ _Sam_ , Angel and I have been looking for you.”

_“Yeah. Look, I'm in Indiana, uh Lafayette.”_

“I know.”

_“You do?”_

“Yeah, Ellen called. We just got here actually. It's a real funky town…” He shared a knowing look with Angel, “You ditched us, Sammy.”

_“Yeah, I'm sorry… Look, right now there's someone after me.”_

“What?” Dean glanced up at Gordon, “Who?”

_“I don't know, that's what we need to find out. Where are you guys?”_

“We’re staying at, uh, 5637 Monroe St. Why don't you meet us here?”

_“Yeah. Sure.”_

“Now…” Gordon smirked as he hung up the phone and took his gun off Angel, “Was that so hard?”

Dean rolled his eyes, “ _Bite me_.”

**_Back on the roof…_ **

Sam put his phone away with a worried look earning a frown from Ava, “What is it?”

He frowned, “My brother and sister are in trouble.”

“What?”

“My brother gave me a codeword.” Sam explained as he wrote the address down on the motel pad, “Someone's got a gun on them.”

“ _Codeword_?”

“Yeah. _Funkytown_ .” He shrugged at her blank stare, “Well, _he_ thought of it. It's kind of a… long story. I…” He rolled his eyes and led them off the roof, “Come on.”

**_Back at the cabin…_ **

Gordon had his back to the Winchester siblings as he opened a canvas bag and started pulling out weapons.

“Gordy.” Dean sighed, “I know the three of us ain't exactly your favorite people, but don't you think this is a little extreme?”

“Oh, you think this is _revenge_?”

“Well, we did leave you tied up in your own mess for three days.” He chuckled, “ _Which was awesome_. Sorry, I shouldn't laugh.”

“Yeah, I was _definitely_ planning on whuppin' your ass for that, but _that's_ not what this is. _This isn't personal_ . I'm not a _killer_ . I'm a _hunter_ .” He turned his head, “ _And your brother's fair game_.”

He slammed the clip of his pistol in the gun as Angel and Dean watched him in shock over his words.

**_Back with Ava and Sam…_ **

Ava shook her head as they approached her blue VW beetle, “I don't think I should leave.”

“I want you out of harm's way, Ava.”

“What about _you_?”

“Harm's way doesn't really bother me…”

“ _No_ , but you are walking right into my vision.” She turned to him in a panic, “I mean, _this is how you die_.”

“Doesn't matter.” Sam said immediately. “It's my sister and brother.”

“Maybe I could help!”

“You've done all you can.” He dismissed, “Just- just go back to your fiance.”

“Are you sure?”

“ _Yes_ , I'm sure. _Go home, Ava_.” He opened her door and offered a small smile, “You'll be safe there.”

“Well, just, promise me you’ll call, then.” She nodded as she got in the car, “I mean, when you get your brother and sister, just to let me know that everything's all right.”

“I promise.”

**_Back at the cabin…_ **

Gordon leaned against a pillar, cradling a rifle as he spoke casually, “See, I was doing an exorcism down in Louisiana. A teenage girl. It seemed routine.” He shrugged, “Some low-level demon, but between all the jabbering and the head-spinning, the damn thing _muttered_ something. _About a coming war_ .” He shook his head, “I don't think it meant to, it just kind of slipped out, but it was too late. _Piqued my interest_ , and you can _really_ make a demon talk, you got the right tools.”

Angel and Dean both glared hatefully at the man, “What happened to the girl it was possessing?”

“ _She didn't make it._ ”

“Well…” Dean shook his head, “You're a son of a bitch.”

Gordon stared at him before walking over and punching him as Angel struggled with her ropes, muttering curse words at him through her gag.

“That's my momma you're talking about.” They stared at one another for a beat before he continued, “ _Anyway_ , this demon tells me there are soldiers to fight in this coming war. _Humans, fighting on hell's side_ . You believe that? I mean, they're _psychics_ , so they're not exactly _pure_ humans, but _still_ . What kind of worthless scumbag have you got to be to turn against your own race?” Angel and Dean both glare, “ _But you know the biggest kick in the ass_ ? This demon said I _knew_ one of them. _Our very own Sammy Winchester_.”

“Well, this is…” Dean chuckled, “This is a whole new level of moronic, _even for you_.”

“Come on, Dean. _I know_ .” Gordon stared at him, “ _About Sam's visions_ . I know _everything_.”

“ _Really_ ? Because a _demon_ told you?” He laughed again, “Yeah, _and it wasn't lying_.”

“I'm not some reckless yahoo, okay? _I did my homework_ . Made _damn_ sure it was true.” He smirked between them, “Look, _you've got your Roadhouse connections, I got mine_. It's how I found Sammy in the first place.” Betrayal laced both of their faces as Gordon crossed to the corner and sat down, “About a month ago I found another one of these freaks here in town. He could deep-fry a person just by touching them.”

“Yeah, did he _kill_ anyone?”

“Well, besides Mr. Tinkles the cat? _No_ . But he was working up to it. They're _all_ gonna be killers. _We've got to take them all out_ .” He cocked his rifle, “And that means Sammy too.” When Angel scoffed and rolled her eyes, Gordons eyes blazed right to here, “ _What_ ? It's not like you can _stop_ me.”

Dean shook his head, “You think Sam's stupid enough to walk through that front door?”

“ _No, I don't._ Especially since I'm sure you found a way to warn him.” He chuckled as Dean raised his eyebrows meaningfully, “You really think I'm that stupid?” He stood and started pacing, “ _No_ . Sammy's going to scope the place first, _see me covering the front door_ , so he's going to take the back. And when he does he'll hit the _tripwire_ . Then…” He took a grenade from his bag, “ _Boom_.”

“Sam's not gonna fall for a friggin' tripwire.”

“Maybe you're right. _That's why I'll have a second one_ .” Gordon looked between their upset faces, “Hey, look, _I'm sorry_ . I wish I didn't have to do this, _I really do_ , but for what it's worth, _it'll be quick_.”

**SECTION FOUR**

Gordon set up the tripwire across the back doorway before returning to the room where Dean and Angel, still gagged, were tied to their chairs.

“ _Come on, man_ .” Dean pleaded, “Angel and I _know_ Sam, okay, _better than anyone_ . He's got more of a conscience than we do, I mean, _the guy feels guilty surfing the Internet for porn_.”

Gordon shrugged, “Maybe you're right, but _one day_ he's going to be a monster.”

“ _How_ ? Huh? How's a guy like _Sam_ become a _monster_?”

“Beats me, _but he will_.”

“No, you don't know that!”

“I'm surprised at you, Dean. _Getting all emotional_ . I'd heard you were more of a professional than this. _Look_ , let's say you were cruising around in that car of yours and, uh, you had little _Hitler_ riding shotgun, right? _Back when he was just some goofy, crappy artist_ , but you _knew_ what he was going to turn into someday. You'd take him out, _no questions_ , am I right?”

“ _That's not Sam_.”

“ _Yes it is_ . You two just can't see it yet. Dean, Angel, _it's his destiny_ . Look, I'm sympathetic. He's your brother, and you two love the guy. This has got to hurt like hell for you two.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a similar scarf to the one he gagged Angel with, “ _But here's the thing_ .” He continued as he gagged Dean with it, “It would wreck him, but your _dad_ ? _If it really came right down to it_ , he would have had the stones to do the right thing here. _But you're telling me you two don't have the same heart as that man did_?”

The two of them glared furiously at him. Outside, just like Ava’s vision, Sam approached the cabin, holding up the sheet of motel stationery. He saw Angel, Dean and Gordon through the boarded-up window, then ran around back. When he tried the door and found it locked, he pulled out his lockpick and worked it open. The clicks from the door could be heard in the front room and had Angel and Dean looking around wildly for their brother.

Gordon grinned, “Ya hear him?” In the back room, Sam got the door open and creeped in, “ _Here he comes_.”

Angel flinched helplessly as the first grenade exploded and screamed at Gordon through her gag.

“Hold on.” He held up a finger, “ _Not yet_. Just wait and see.”

As the second grenade went off, Angel and Dean both struggled violently, choke-sobbing through their gags. 

Gordon crossed the room and stopped beside them, “ _Sorry_.”

He went into the back room, rifle ready and saw Sam's smoking boots on the ground, just like in the vision. He smiled but was still wary. As he turned away from the back door, Sam raised a gun to the back of Gordon’s head and cocked it.

His voice was low with warning, “ _Drop the gun_.”

“Shouldn't take your shoes off around here.” Gordon stated as he didn't move, “You might get tetanus.”

Sam screamed, “Put it down now!” 

At the sound of Sam's voice in the other room Angel and Dean both grunt with relief at hearing he was alive.

Gordon slowly lowered the rifle to the floor, “You wouldn't shoot me, would you, Sammy? Because your siblings, they think you're some kind of _saint_.”

“Yeah?” Sam scoffed, “Well, I wouldn't be so sure.”

“See…” Gordon cocked a smile at that answer, “That's what _I_ said.”

He turned quickly, knocking the gun out of Sam’s hand and attacking him methodically until he went down. In the front room, upon hearing the scuffle, Angel and Dean struggle against their ropes, groaning in frustration. Out back, Gordon slowly approached Sam, who was flat on his back, coughing. 

He pulled out his knife, “ _You're no better than the filthy things you hunt_.”

As Gordon raised the knife, Sam lashed out, flipping Gordon over. He punched him twice, then grabbed the rifle and pointed it at his head.

“Do it. _Do it_ !” Gordon bellowed at him, “Show your brother and sister the killer you _really_ are, Sammy.”

Sam hesitated for a second before slamming the butt of the rifle into Gordons head, knocking him out.

He fumed as he glared down at the incompacitated man, “It's _Sam_.”

Sam shuffled exhaustedly into the room where Angel and Dean were tied up. They both looked up emotionally as Sam approached. Sam clapped Dean on the shoulder before kneeling down in front of Angel and untying her first. She pulled off her gag, stood and frantically pulled Sam into a hug.

She sniffled as she let the relief wash over, “Thank God youre okay.”

“I am.” He hugged her back with a smile, “Im fine, Angie.”

Separating from her he knelt beside Dean and untied his ropes as well. Much like Angel he tore off his own gag and pulled Sam to standing. He cupped his hand around Sam’s neck, staring at him closely as he catalogued his injuries. Sam nodded at him and clapped a hand to Dean’s shoulder. 

Dean wheeled around to head to the back room, “That son of a…”

“Dean.” Sam stopped him, “ _No_.”

“I let him live once. _I'm not making the same mistake twice_.”

Angels brows furrowed, “Sam-:

“Trust me. Gordon's taken care of.” He reached out and fisted Dean's jacket as he put an arm around his sister's shoulders and pulled them towards the front door, “Come on.”

The three of them walked down the steps from the cabin, Sam staggering from his injuries, and began heading away from the cabin. They got a few feet away before Gordon emerged, a gun in each hand, and began firing off rounds at them. The three ducked instantly, throwing a look over their shoulders before running for cover.

“Come on!” Dean hurried as they ran, “You call this taken care of?” 

“ _Sam_ .” Angel huffed as they dove into a ditch by the side of the road and huddled, watching him approach, “ _What the hell are we doing_?”

“Just _trust_ me on this, alright?”

As Gordon approached, three police cars, sirens blaring, pulled into the clearing and surrounded him. Cops emerge, weapons ready.

“Drop your weapons! Get down on your knees!”

“Do it, now!”

The Winchesters grinned at each other as Gordon dropped to his knees and glared in their direction.

“Put your hands on your head! _Easy now_.”

The cop cuffed Gordon and patted him down, then led him to a squad car. Another opened the back door of Gordon’s red car and pulled out the weapons rack.

Sam smirked, “Anonymous tip.”

“Well…” Angel winked at him, “Who knew our little brother was such a fine upstanding citizen.”

**SECTION FIVE**

**_On the side of the road…_ **

_Ellen's voice sounded shocked and hushed, “Gordon Walker was hunting Sam?_

Angel stood outside the impala on her phone as the boys sat in the car, “ _Yeah_ , he almost killed all three of us because _somebody_ over there can't keep their mouth shut, Ellen.”

_“And you honestly think that it was me? Or Ash? Or Jo? No way.”_

“I don't know, _you tell me_ . Who else knows about Sam, huh?” She turned to look at the boys in the car, “One of you must have been talking to _somebody_.”

_“Hey, you can say a lot of things about us, but we are not disloyal. And we're not stupid. We haven't breathed a word of this.”_

“Okay, well Gordon said he had Roadhouse connections, Ellen.”

_“And this roadhouse is full of other hunters. They're all smart. They're good trackers. Each of them with their own patterns and connections. Look, hell, I could name twelve of them right now that are capable of putting this together.” She sighed, “I am sorry about what happened, Angel, but I can't control these people. Or what they choose to believe.”_

**_Later on…_ **

Dean drove down the road as Angel sat passenger. Sam was in the backseat on the phone.

“Hey, Ava, it's Sam. _Again_. Um, call me when you get this, just want to make sure you got home okay. Alright. Bye.”

Angel turned to him, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I hope so…”

“Well…” Dean sighed, “Gordon should be reaching for the soap for the next few years _at least_.”

“Yeah.” Angel agreed as she turned back in her seat, “If they pin Scott Carey's murder on him _and_ if he doesn't bust out.”

There was a pause before Dean met Sam's eyes in the rearview, “ _Dude_ , you ever take off like that again…”

“What?” Sam smirked, “ _You guys'll kill me_?”

Angel shook her head, “That is _so_ not funny.”

“Alright.” Sam laughed and put his hands up when she turned to glare at him, “Alright. _So_ , where to next, then?”

“ _One word_ .” Sam grinned, “ _Amsterdam_.”

“Dean!”

“Come on, man, I hear the coffeeshops don't even serve _coffee_.”

“I'm not just gonna ditch the job.”

“Screw the job. _Screw it_ .” Dean shook his head, “I'm sick of the job anyway. I mean, _we don't get paid, we don't get thanked_ . The only thing we get's _bad luck_.”

“Well…” Angel grumbled, “He’s not wrong.”

“Come on, guys, _you're hunters_ .” Sam leaned forward, “I mean, it's what you were _meant_ to do.”

“Ah, _I wasn't meant to do anything_.” Dean dismissed, “I don't believe in that destiny crap.”

“You mean you don't believe in _my_ destiny.” Both of them quieted so he trekked on, “Look… I've tried _running_ before. I mean, I ran all the way to California and _look_ what happened. You guys can't run from this and you can't protect me.”

Angel turned, fire in her eyes, “We can _try_ , Sammy.”

Sam nodded, his voice quiet, “Thanks for that.” She nodded and turned back around, sharing a look with Dean, “Look, I'm gonna keep hunting. I mean, _whatever is coming_ , I'm taking it head-on, so if you guys really want to watch my back, then I guess you're gonna have to stick around.”

Dean met his eyes, “ _Bitch_.”

Sam scoffed with a laugh, “ _Jerk_.”

Angel smiled as she shook her head, “ _Idiots_.”

The three of them grinned but after a beat Sam frowned and picked up his phone again.

“You calling that Ava girl again?” Dean asked, “You sweet on her or something?”

“She's _engaged_ , Dean.”

“ _So_? What's the point in saving the world if you can't get a little nookie once in a while, huh?”

Angel swatted his head, “Not from someone who's engaged you pig.” She shook her head again but noticed Sam hung up with a scowl, “What is it?”

“Just a feeling… How far is it to Peoria?”

**_At Ava Wilson's house…_ **

The three of them quietly broke in and entered with their flashlights in hand.

“Hello?” Sam called, “Is anybody home?”

They went into the bedroom to find Ava’s fiance dead, face-up on the bed; his shirt and the sheets were soaked in blood. Dean ran his finger along the windowsill, staring at the powdery substance collected there.

“Hey.” Angel and Sam turned and he held up his fingers, “ _Sulfur_. Demon's been here.”

Sam saw something on the floor and knelt to pick it up. It was Ava’s engagement ring.

He whispered painfully, “Ava.”


	11. Born Under a Bad Sign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After receiving a frantic call from Sam, who has been missing for over a week, Angel and Dean race to their brother's side. They find Sam covered in blood, but unable to remember anything that happened.

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

 **WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspect. Proceed with caution please.

_Previously skipped: Playthings, Nightshifter, and Houses of the Holy…_

**_At an underpass…_ **

Dean was on his cell phone, leaning against his car as Angel fidgeted beside him, clearly upset. Their brother had gone missing again this past week only this time he hadn’t been seen nor heard by anyone they knew. Both Angel and Dean had pits in their stomach. 

“Ellen, it's Dean again. Any chance you've heard from him?” Dean frowned and shook his head to Angel as he listened to Ellen, “I swear, it's like looking for our dad all over again. We’re losing our minds here… No, I've called him a thousand times, there's nothing but voicemail. I don't know where he went, or why. Sam's just gone.” 

When Angel's phone rang she looked down and saw it said ‘ _SAM’S CELL_ ’.

“It’s him.” Angel said hurriedly and quickly answered as Dean hung up with Ellen, “Sammy? Where the hell are you? Are you okay?” Her brows furrowed at his panic, “ _Hey, hey_ , calm down. Where are you? Alright, don't move, we’re on our way.”

**_Twin Lakes motel…_ **

As soon as they arrived, Angel and Dean both frantically hurried down a narrow hallway, checking door numbers until they reached room 109. 

“Sam.” Dean knocked, “It's us.”

Angel shifted from beside him, “Sam!”

When there's no answer Dean tried the door- it was open. Inside, Sam was sitting numbly on one of the beds. They instantly ran to him.

“Sammy? Hey.”

“Thank god.”

He didn't look up from staring down at the carpet, “Hey guys…”

“What the hell, Sam…” Angel finally got a good look at him and rushed over, he was covered in blood, “Are you hurt?”

Dean knelt beside him worriedly at the sight as well, “Are you bleeding?”

“I tried to wash it off…” Sam shook his head, “I don't think it's my blood.”

Dean and Angel shared a look, “Who's is it?”

“I don't know.”

“ _Sam_.” Dean earned his attention hurriedly, “What the hell happened?” 

“Yeah where have you been all this time?”

“I- I…” Sam finally looked up, near tears, “I don't remember anything.”

“ _What_?” Angel studied him, “What do you mean you don't remember anything? Like- like you blacked out or something?”

“I think so…”

Angel looked to Dean grimly, her father's words echoing in her ears before getting to business, “Okay you know what? You need to take a shower and get all this blood off you. Dean and I will do some recon around town. See if we can find anything out.”

“Sounds like a good start.” Dean slapped him on the shoulder, “Don’t go anywhere alight?”

“I won't…”

**_Later on…_ **

Dean and Angel returned to the room, Dean carrying a grocery bag. Sam had changed clothed and showered, looking a little less out of it.

“What'd you find out?”

“You checked in two days ago under the name _Richard Sambora_ .” Dean answered with a roll of his eyes, “Of course, I think the scariest part about this whole thing is the fact that you're a _Bon Jovi_ fan.”

“Dean, _Bon Jovi_ is the shit.”

“No, _Zeppelin_ is the shit-”

Sam rolled his eyes before scolding them, “ _Guys_.” 

“Right.” Angel cleared her throat, “Uh, your room's been quiet. Nobody's noticed anything unusual.”

“You mean no one saw me walking around covered in blood?”

“Yeah. _That's what I mean_.”

“Then how the hell did I get here? What happened to me?”

“Look, we don't know, but you're- you're _okay_ ,” Dean repeated with a sigh of relief, “And that's what matters. Everything else we can deal with.”

“Oh really? 'Cause what if I _hurt_ someone? Or _worse_?”

Angel flinched, “Sam…”

“What if this is what Dad warned you two about?”

“Hey, _whoa, whoa_ , come on man.” Dean stopped him, knowing full and well they should've never told him what their father said, “Let’s not jump the gun here. We don't know _what_ happened. We've just got to treat this like- like any other job. What's the last thing you remember?”

Sam sat down, “Just the three of us… in that motel room in West Texas, going out to grab some burgers, and…”

Dean looked at him stunned, “ _West Texas_?” 

“Yeah…”

Angel scoffed, “That was- _that was over a week ago_. When you first went missing.”

“That's it.” The two of them looked stunned to hear that as he continued, “Next thing I knew I was sitting here. _Bloody_. Felt like I'd been asleep for a month.”

“Okay. Retrace your steps. The manager said you left yesterday afternoon and he never saw you come back, so…” Dean pulled back the curtain and found a bloody fingerprint on the window, “Hey.”

As they exit the motel Angel looked her brother over, “Recognize anything, Sammy?”

“Not really.” He frowned as they went towards a parking garage out back, “Wait… I think I was here.”

“Something jogging your memory?”

“Not really, it just… feels _familiar_ , you know?” They went to the nearest garage and Sam looked over to the second and pointed, “Try that one. Yeah.”

Dean tugged on the padlock, “Okay…”

Sam stopped Angel from handing over the lock picking kit to Dean, “Wait.” 

He dug in his pocket, frowning. He pulled out a key as he gave Dean a significant look. Dean opened the padlock with the key, raising his eyebrows at Sam. He pulled the garage door open to reveal a filthy, beat-up VW Beetle.

“Oh, _please_ tell me you didn't steal _this_.”

Sam fidgeted and they went into the garage and opened both doors of the car, Sam on the driver's side. 

He touched the wheel and showed them his stained finger, “More blood.”

Angel bent down in the back seat, “Uh guys…” She reached down and picked up a blood-stained knife that stuck to the floor of the backseat, “What the hell?”

Sam stared at it with wide eyes, “You think I used this on someone?”

Dean paused, sharing another look with Angel, “I'm not thinking anything.” 

“Me either.”

Sam looked around before taking the knife from her and rubbing the handle off on the inside of his jacket.

“Okay…” Dean picked up a pack of cigarettes, “Now _this_ is disturbing. Come on, man. This couldn't have been you. Had to have been someone else, somebody who, uh…” He sniffed the pack and grimaced, “ _Smokes menthols_.”

“Here.” Sam picked something up from the floor, “ _Gas receipt_ from a few towns over.”

**_Once at the gas station…_ **

“Alright…” The three of them pulled up in front of a small gas station as Dean heaved a heavy sigh, “Receipt’s for ten gallons at pump number two.” He turned to Sam, “You getting any, uh, any _goosebumps_ yet? _'God, this looks familiar'_ , deja vu vibes?” 

Sam frowned as he shook his head quietly.

“It's alright Sammy.” Angel tapped his arm as they got out, “We might get lucky inside. They might remember you.”

Once they went into the convenience store the clerk looked up in shock before the shock quickly turned to anger.

“ _You_ !” He pointed an angry finger at Sam, “ _Outta_ here _now_ or I'm calling the cops.”

Dean looked at him confused, “You talking to _him_?”

“ _Yeah_ , I'm talking to him.” The clerk glared, “Jerk comes in yesterday, _stinking drunk_ , grabs a forty from the fridge, starts chugging.” 

“Wait… _him_ ?” Angel pointed to Sam with just as much confusion as Dean, “ _This_ guy was chugging a forty? _Him_?”

“ _Yes_!”

Dean scoffed, “You're drinking _malt liquor_ now?”

“Not after he whipped the friggin’ bottle at my head!”

“ _Seriously_ ?” Angel gaped, “ _This guy_?” 

“What, _am I speaking Urdu_?”

“Look…” Sam shuffled towards him and tensed even more, “I'm really sorry if I did anything-”

“Tell your story _walkin’_ , pal!” The guy bristled as he picked up his landline, “Po-po will be here in _five_.”

“ _Listen, listen_.” Angel quickly got in between them and motioned with her head to Dean who patted Sam on the chest, “Just, uh, put the phone down so the two of us can talk, yeah?” 

“Lets go wait in the car.”

“But Dean-”

“ _Now_.” 

Sam sighed but followed him out without any further complaints.

“Look, I don't want any trouble and neither do they alright? Just wanna talk.” The clerk glared at her as he hung up the phone, “Now yesterday, after he left, which way did he go?”

“Why don't you ask _him_?”

“ _He_ doesn't remember. Which is why I'm asking _you_ , sweetheart.” She leaned in with a small smirk, “Now please, you'd be doing me a _huge_ favor.”

“Listen lady if you think your little _flirting act_ is gonna get your buddy off scott free _you've got another thing coming_ !” He glared, getting even more angry, “That jerk didn't pay for the booze, _or_ the smokes, _which he also illegally lit up_!”

Angel gaped, “You actually… _saw_ him smoking?”

“Yeah.” He scoffed, “ _Guy's a chimney_.”

“This ought to cover what he took.” Angel sighed as she put money on the counter, “Now, _where'd he go_?”

“ _Thanks_ .” He glared but rolled his eyes, “He went north. _Route 71_ , straight out of town.”

**_Later on…_ **

Dean drove down a dark road, Angel in the back as Sam stared out the passenger side window.

“What's going on with you, Sam? _Hm_ ?” Dean barked after Angel relayed everything the clerk told her, “‘Cause _smoking, throwing bottles at people_ , I mean, that sounds more like _me_ than _you_.” 

“Dean, wait… Right here.” Sam pointed hurriedly at a turn in the road, “Turn down that road!”

“ _What_?”

He shook his head, “I don't know how I know, _I just do_.”

Dean turned down a back road and onto a private property. It was a large house with plenty of emergency lighting and security cameras outside.

“Look at all this…” Angel pursed her lips as she studied it, “If you were here there's gotta be some type of _surveillance_ from it.”

Dean looked over ,”Should we knock?”

“Yeah…” Sam shrugged, “I guess.”

“Go for it.”

Dean knocked on the front door while Sam poked around the corner, “Hey guys…” 

He waved his flashlight at a window. It was broken, the ledge covered in shattered glass. 

“I'm surprised the cops didn't show.” Dean commented, “Place like this you'd think it'd have an alarm.” 

Angels brows furrowed, “It’s weird that it doesn't…” She frowned as an eerie feeling started filling her at the sight of a disabled alarm on the wall, “I take that back… Someone just got to the alarm _first_.”

When they went into the house they saw the floor was covered in broken glass and scattered items. In a back room, they came across a body on the floor. 

Angel turned to Sam who was staring pale faced at the body as he stood at the door, “Sammy, hit the lights.”

Sam turned the lights on as she and Dean knelt behind the body. They turned it over revealing a middle-aged man with a deeply cut throat; he was dead, his eyes still staring out. Shock hit Angel as Dean put a hand over his own mouth and Sam looked on in horror.

“I- _I did this_.”

“Sam.” Angel looked at him dismissively as she stood, “We don't know that. Not yet.”

“What else do you guys _need_ ? I mean, _how else do you explain the car, the knife, the blood-”_

“I don't know, man, why don't _you_ tell _us_ ?!” Dean snapped as he looked up at Sam, they shared an emotional look before Dean recovered, “ _Look_ , even if you did do this I'm sure you had a _reason_ . You know; _self-defense_ , uh, he was- _he was a bad son of a bitch_ , _something_!” He turned back around and patted down the body, “He doesn't have any ID.”

Angel walked over to the double-door closet in the room, frowning when realized it was locked.

“Dean, give me your lockpick.”

He handed it over and she opened the doors to reveal an arsenal. One wall was covered in firearms and the other was covered in charts and clippings.

“Holy…” Dean gaped, “Either this guy's the Unabomber-”

“Or he’s a hunter.”

Sam gulped hard, “You think I killed a hunter?”

Dean looked at a security camera near the ceiling and motioned, “Let's find out.”

Later on, Sam was sitting in front of the desktop computer as Angel and Dean stood behind. He cued up the security tape.

Dean nodded, “Here we go.

On the tape, Sam was fighting the same man who was dead on the floor behind them. The fight moved off camera but soon, Sam drug him back into the frame. He knelt, pulling the man up against his legs, and slit his throat. Sam stared at the screen in shock as Dean pulled back from the screen and stood straight. Angel's eyes went wide as she put a hand to her mouth and looked down at her little brother, who wouldn't meet her eyes.

**SECTION TWO**

Sam sat at the computer desk, staring at a page in his hand emotionally as Angel and Dean bustled around behind him, cleaning up.

“How do you erase this?” Dean asked as they came back over to the desk and he hurriedly pointed to the computer, “Huh?”

“ _Sam_ .” Angel barked hurriedly at his silence, urging him, “You’re the tech guy here. We need your help. _Erase this_.”

“I killed him…” Sam said quietly as they resumed cleaning, “I just… _broke in_ and- and _killed_ him.”

“Sammy, _listen_ to me very carefully…” Angel knelt beside him, “This man, whoever he was, _he's a hunter_ . That means when his hunter buddies find out he's been murdered they’re going to come after his killer, _guns blazing_.”

Dean looked up from behind her, “Which means we've got to cover our tracks, okay?”

“His name was Steve Wandell…” He held up the paper in his hand numbly, “ _This is a letter from his daughter_.”

Angel frowned as Dean looked from Sam to the letter, then made a decision. He grabbed the CPU, lifted it above his head, and smashed it to the floor, stomping it with his boots for good measure. 

He then turned to Sam, still sitting there despondent, and tossed a rag to him, “Wipe your prints, then we go.”

**_Back at the motel room…_ **

Sam walked into the room, followed by Angel and Dean. The latter of which was talking about their gameplan.

“Alright, we get a couple hours sleep and then we put this place in our rearview mirror.” He put his bag down and looked at Sam who still hasn't said anything, “Look, I know this is bad, okay? You gotta snap out of it.” When all he did was roll his eyes Dean huffed, “Sam, say _something_!”

“ _Just get some sleep and leave in the morning_ ?” He scoffed angrily, pointedly looking between Angel and Dean begging them to understand the situation he was in, “ _Murder, that's what I did_.”

Angel hunted for words as she shook her head and crossed her arms, “ _Maybe_ .” Sam scoffed again and she pressed her point, “Hey, we don't know- _shapeshifter_!”

“Oh, _come on_ ! You dont really believe that! You both saw the tape. There was _no eye flare, no distortion_.”

“Yeah, but it wasn't _you_ , alright?” Dean interjected, “I mean, _yeah_ , it might have been _you_ , but _it wasn't you_.”

“Well, _I think it was_.” Sam looked away as he sat down on the bed, “I think… maybe more than you guys know.”

Angels brows knitted as she stood in front of him, “What the hell does that mean?”

“For the last few weeks I've been having… _I've been having these feelings_.”

Dean walked to the bed to sit opposite of Sam, “What _feelings_?”

“ _Rage. Hate_ .” He shook his head, “And I can't stop it. It just gets worse. _Day by day, it gets worse_.”

“Sammy…” Angel frowned, “Why wouldn't you say something to us about this?”

“I didn't want to scare you guys.”

“Well…” Dean nodded before slapping his knee and standing, “ _Bang-up job on that_.”

Sam looked up at them, “The yellow-eyed demon, you know, he has _plans_ for me, and all three of us _know_ that he's turned other children into killers before, too.”

Dean dismissed him quickly, “No one can control _you_ but _you_.”

“It sure doesn't seem like that, Dean, it feels like no matter what I do, slowly but surely I'm- I'm just becoming…”

“ _What_?”

“ _Who I'm meant to be_.”

“Sam, you weren't _meant to be_ some psychic killer!” Angel scoffed, “It doesn't matter _what_ Yellow-Eyes wants.”

“Angel, you said it once yourself.” He pressed, “ _I gotta face up to who I am_.”

“I didn't mean it like this!”

“But it's still true.” Sam rose and walked to stand in front of both of them, “ _Both_ of you know that. _Dad_ knew that too. That's why he told you two, if it ever came to this…”

Dean glared, “ _Shut up_ , Sam.”

“You both _promised_ him.” Sam looked between them, eyes blaring, “ _You both promised me_.”

“Sammy…” Angel shook her head, “We're going to figure this out. There's _always_ a way.”

Conviction filled the youngest Winchesters eyes, “Yeah, there is.” He took a handgun from his duffel and shoved it at them, “I don't wanna hurt anyone else. _I don't wanna hurt you guys_.”

They both looked down at the gun Sam was handing over, but neither took it from him.

“ _You won't_ .” Angel said confidently as she crossed her arms again, “Whatever this is, you can fight it. _We can help you fight it_.”

“No, I can't. _Not forever_ .” Sam said as he teared up and shoved the gun at them again, “ _Here_ , one of you has gotta do it.

The three of them stared at each other for a long moment before Sam grabbed Dean’s right hand and placed the gun in it. Dean didn't move, just stared at Sam in shock along with Angel who was tearing up beside him. Sam was shaky, getting more and more upset by the second.

“You know…” Dean looked down at the gun, “Angel and I, we've tried so hard to keep you safe.”

Sam nodded, tears filling his eyes, “I know.”

“I can't.” He shook his head as he dropped the fun on the bed and shouldered past Sam, “ _I'd rather die_.”

“Sam…” Angel came to stand in front of him, tears falling from her eyes, “We’re going to figure this out. _The three of us, together_ . I promise. No ones going to die, _not you and not us_ , okay?”

Sam stared at her for a beat before coming closer to her, “ _No_ , you'll live.” Quickly, he grabbed her and bashed her head into the desk knocking her out before picking up the gun and pistol whipping Dean into unconsciousness before he could react, “ _You'll live to regret this_.”

**_Later on…_ **

Insistent knocking at the motel rooms front door had Dean awakening with a groan. Realizing he was on the floor he looked around in confusion, he stood up with a grimace. Upon seeing Angel on the ground, knocked out as well, he ran over to her and ignored the knocking.

“Angie?” He gently shook her, relief flooding him when she groaned in return before his eyes fluttered open, “You okay?”

“No…” She grimaced as he helped her up to sitting, frowning when she touched the blood dripping down her forehead, “What the hell happened?”

“Hello?” The knocking outside got louder, “Hey, open up!”

“ _Sam_ happened.” Worry filled Dean's face as he got up and opened the door, “ _What_?”

The man glared, “It's past your checkout.”

“What?”

“ _It's past your checkout_.” He motioned behind himself, “I've got a couple here needs your room.”

  
  


“Yeah, I’ll bet they do.” Dean commented as he glanced at the embarrassed businessman standing beside a hooker, “What time is it?”

“Twelve-thirty.”

“The other guy who was with us…” Angel said as she came to stand beside Dean, “Have you seen him?”

“ _Yeah_ , he left before dawn in _your_ car.” He answered, sending another glare to Dean, “And you two should have gone with him because _now_ I'm gonna have to charge you extra.”

Dean muttered as he rolled his eyes upon hearing Sam took the Impala, “Oh, _son of a_ …”

“It's just policy, sir.”

“Its fine.” Angel dismissed, “We need to use your computer.”

“Now…” He looked between them curiously, “ _Why would I let you use my computer_?”

This time Angel rolled her eyes. Soon the manager was counting a stack of cash Angel talked on the phone behind him, in front of a desktop computer. Dean stood worriedly behind her, watching and listening.

“Hi, uh, so sorry to bother you, but my son snuck out of the house last night and went to a, uh, _Justin Timberlake_ concert.” She paused and forced out a light laugh, “Yeah, Justin _sure is_ the triple threat. _Anyway_ , he's not back yet, and- and I'm just… Well, I'm starting to worry. _Call it a mothers intuition_ .” She frowned, “Boys may be boys buy Sammy, he’s uh- he’s a diabetic. If he doesn't get his insulin then… I just- I have to find him. _Please_ , I'm begging you.” She nodded and looked at the computer screen, “Yeah, no no no, I’m on the website right now. I just need to activate the GDS in his cell phone.” She entered a password; her GPS screen showing the name ANGEL J. MAHOGOFF, _mobile phone number 785-555-2800_ , “Yeah, right there. _Duluth, Minnesota_. Yeah, that is a long way to go for a concert. I appreciate your help.”

Hanging up she and Dean rushed out, heading for Minnesota.

**_Duluth, Minnesota: The Sandpiper Tavern_ **

Jo Harvelle, scrubbed the tabletop of the bar as she said goodnight to some customers that were walking out. She was looking down as another man entered and cleared his throat to get her attention. She didn't look over as she turned her back to the door.

“Sorry, we're closing up.”

Sam's voice sounded and she tensed, “How about just one for the road?”

Tensing, Jo turned to face him. Her face was less than welcoming as she stared at the youngest Winchester, not expecting him at all.

“Well… _you're_ about the _last_ person I'd expect to see.”

“Guess I'm full of surprises.” He walked a little further into the bar and looked at her with his signature pouty face as he leaned onto a wooden pillar, “So can I get a beer?”

“Sure.” She nodded tensely, “ _One_ beer.” She brought a bottle of beer over and set it down on the bar firmly, then turned away, bustling over cleaning up again, “So how'd you find me?”

“Well, uh, _it's kind of what we do_ , you know?”

“Speaking of _'we'_ , where are Angel and Dean?”

“Couldn't make it.”

“So what're you doing here Sam?” She asked blatantly as she came back to stand behind the bar, “I mean we didn't exactly part on the _best_ of terms.”

“Right. Um, _that's_ why I'm here.” He nodded as he took off his jacket, “I kinda- I wanted to see if we could _square things_ , you know?”

As Sam took off his jacket, Jo noticed a circular burn mark with a short line through it on his forearm, “That looks like it hurts.”

Sam followed her gaze to the burn, “No.” He laughed it off as he shook his head, “Nah, just… _had a run-in with a hot stove_.”

“ _So…_ ” She pierced her eyes to his, “You were saying something about _squaring_ things?”

“Yeah. Um…” He leaned on the bar as his eyes became sad, “Look, I know how you feel about my dad, and I can't say I _blame_ you. He was obsessed- _consumed with hunting_ , and he didn't care _who_ got caught in the cross-fire. I guess… that included your dad, but that was my _father_. That's not me.”

She nodded, pain crossing her face but looked at him curiously, “What about Dean?”

“Well…” He shrugged, “Angel _and_ Dean are more like my father than I am, but-” He chuckled tightly at Jo’s disappointed look, “ _Boy_ , you're _really_ carrying a torch for him, aren't you?” She scoffed uncomfortably, “I'll take that as a _yes_ . It's too bad.” He smiled tightly, almost jealous as she turned from him and walked to clear off the tables behind him, “‘Cause see, Dean, he _likes_ you, sure, but not in the way you'd want. I mean, maybe as kind of a… _little sister_ , you know?” As she came to stand beside him her glare deepened at his words, “Like how Angel is with us, but _romance_ , that's just out of the question. He-” Sam laughed making her flinch, “He kind of thinks you're a _schoolgirl_ , you know?” At her hurt glare his smile faltered, “I'm not trying to hurt you, Jo, I- _I'm telling you 'cause I care_.”

She nodded sarcasticall as her eyes reading murder, “That's _real_ kind of you, Sam.”

“I mean it.” He placed a hand over hers on the bar, suggestively, _possessively_ , “I care about you a lot.”

She looked him over confused and taken aback by that, “Sam, what's going on?”

She tried to pull her hand away but he held it strongly, refusing to let it go, “I can be _more_ to you, Jo.”

Her face stayed blank as she tried to keep her composure, “Maybe you should leave.”

“ _Okay_.”

Staring at her seethingly for a second, he shoved her hand away and stood to leave. Racking her brain for an explanation to this weird interaction, Jo turned to face the bar, leaning on it heavily as she took a steadying breath. Within a second, Sam roughly grabbed her from behind. He twisted her around and started manhandling her.

“Sam, get off me!” Jo struggled in his grasp, trying to fight him off and panicking when she realized he was too strong, “Sam! Get off me! Let me go!”

He grabbed her hair, forcing her head up and leaning over her to pin her body to the bar. His mouth traced her jaw as she still struggled in his grasp. Looking to her right she saw a beer bottle and closed her right hand on it, but before she could hit him with it he grabbed her wrist and slammed it onto the bar, shattering the bottle.

Sam looked down at her, shaking his head slightly, “ _Jo, Jo, Jo._ ”

He shoved her around until she faced the bar and pinned her there, left hand over her wrist, right hand stroking her hair. He pressed his body harder against hers eliciting a panicked scream from her.

“Sam, no!” She cried, “No! Please! _Please_ , Sam!”

He slammed her forehead into the bar, knocking her out, and lifted her carefully to lie her on the bar.

  
Sam stroked her hair in a disturbingly gentle manner, “It didn't have to be this way.” He smiled evilly, “ _Maybe it did._ ”

**SECTION THREE**

The sound of _Crystal Ship by The Doors_ playing on the Jukebox woke Jo from unconsciousness. She groaned at the pain in her head as Sam tied her up in a sitting position to one of the bars wide wooden posts.

“What the hell is going on?” She groaned at the pain in her head when she tried to move, “What are you doing, Sam?”

“ _So…_ ” He leaned his head in close to hers as he tightened the ropes, “What exactly did your mom tell you about how your dad died?”

She tensed at the conversation subject, glaring hatefully at him, “You're _not_ Sam.”

“Don't be so sure about that. _Answer the question_.” 

At her silence he sighed heavily and went around to the other side, pulling a chair to sit in front of her as his expression shifted to one of open concern. He pulled out a large knife and stroked her face with it.

“Come on. _It's me_ . You can tell me _anything_ , you know that. _Answer. The question_.”

She narrowed her eyes, “Fine.”

“ _Fine_.”

“Our dads were in California: _Devil's Gate Reservoir_ . They were setting a trap for some kind of hellspawn. John was _hiding_ , waiting, and my dad was bait.”

“That’s just like John.” He laughed giddily, “Oh, _I'll bet he dangled Bill like meat on a hook_. Then what?”

She continued as he got up and moved to stand behind her, “The thing showed up. John got too eager, _jumped out too soon_ , got my dad exposed, out in the open. The thing turned around… and killed him.”

“Hmm” Sam leaned in from behind her, “ _Not quite_.”

“What?”

“See, it _hurt_ him. It didn't kill him. You really don't know the truth, do you?” He smirked as he sat facing her again and leaned in close, “I bet your mom doesn't either.”

“Know _what_?”

“You see, Bill… _was all clawed up_ . He was holding his insides in his hands, gurgling, _praying_ to see you and Ellen one more time. So my dad… _killed_ him. _Put him out of his misery like a sick dog_.”

Jo sobbed, “You're lying!”

“I'm not. It's true.” His voice became quiet as he sang, “ _My daddy shot your daddy in the head_ …”

“How could you _know_ that?”

He stood and stabbed the knife into the pillar, just above head level, “ _I hear things_.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Like Daddy, like daughter. _You're bait_. Open up.” He shoved a knotted rag in her mouth and tied it around her neck, “That's a girl.”

The door burst open just then and Angel and Dean enter, guns out.

“Sam!”

Sam grabbed the knife from the pillar, his calm expression shifting to one of desperate panic, and placed the knife at Jo’s throat.

He screamed at them, sounding more like Sam than before, “I begged you guys to stop me!”

“Put the knife down!” Angel tenses, looking from Jo to him, “Dammit, Sam, _put it down_!”

“I told you I can't fight it! My head feels like it's on fire, alright?! _Please_ . Kill me, or I'm going to kill her.” Jo’s eyes lifted to him at that, watching closely as he baited them, “ _Please_ . You'd be doing me a favor! _Shoot me_ .” He turned to face them with his arms spread widely, “ _Shoot me_!”

They both stared at him, their expressions filled with pain and emotion. They kept their guns steady as Angel shook her head, refusing his request.

Dean also shook his head as he looked at Jo from the corner of his eye and composed himself, “ _No_ , Sammy, come on.”

When they both lowered their weapons Sam scoffed, “What the hell's wrong with you two?” He walked past Jo and towards the two of them when they turned away, “Are you really that selfish that you’d let Jo die before doing the right thing?”

Angel turned and flung water from a flask at him. The water hissed and steamed as it struck him.

“That's holy water, you demonic son of a bitch!”

Sam raised his head; his eyes were the solid black of a demon's. Angel continued to fling more water at him as she backed him away from Jo and Dean. He growled, turned and ran, bursting through a window and fleeing, Angel running after. Dean took the knife and cut Jo free. She pulled the gag out of her mouth as Dean ran towards the shattered window.

“He was _possessed_?!” Dean turned and stared at her for a moment before leaping through the window after Sam and Angel, “Dean!”

**_In a dark warehouse…_ **

The three Winchester siblings stalked each other through a dim, crowded warehouse, each with a handgun. As they spoke, they couldn't see each other directly. Instead, speaking as they hid stealthily behind piles and boxes.

“ _So…_ ” Angel ducked behind a large pillar, “Which one of you black eyed sons of bitches is riding my brother?”

“I got lots of names.”

Dean spoke next, “You've been in Sam since he disappeared, haven't you?”

“You guys shoulda seen your faces when you thought he murdered that guy.” He chuckled, “ _Pathetic_.”

“Why didn't you kill us?” Angel stalked, “You had more than enough chances. Suck at your job, or what?”

“ _Nah_ , that would have been _too_ easy. Where's the fun in that? You see, _this was a test_ . Wanted to see if I could push you two far enough to waste Sam. _Should've known neither of you would have the sack_ .” He scoffed, “Anyway, _fun's over now_.”

“I hope you got your kicks.” Dean growled, “‘Cause you're gonna pay hell for this, _we’re gonna make sure of that_.”

“ _How_ ? You two can't hurt me. _Not without hurting your little brother_ . See, I think you both are gonna die. _You two and every other hunter I can find_ . One look at Sam's dewey, sensitive eyes? _They'll let me right in their door_.”

Possessed-Sam got up and hurried outside. Dean followed, flash of holy water in hand, and motioned behind him for Angel to stay put. He followed Sam onto an open-air dock. Once Dean was out in the open, looking around at the water, Sam stepped. He took aim and immediately shot Dean, knocking him into the water with a splash. When Angel tried to run out, Sam opened fire on her making her scurry back into the warehouse. As he did that he peered over to where Dean fell and smiled when he didn't see him in the water.

**SECTION FOUR**

After she was sure Sam took off, Angel hurriedly walked through the docks in search of her injured brother. Her eyes swam around as the worst kept circling her brain.

“Dean? Dean, can you hear me?”

She huffed and took out her phone to dial his cell, hoping she’d get lucky. Immediately she heard his ringtone coming from below her, by the water. She ran down to where he was lying unconscious at the bottom of the ramp.

“Dean! _Dean_!” 

She pulled him to a sitting position and shook him carefully, forcing him to consciousness. He awakened with a pained groan, coughing and shuttering from being completely drenched.

She sighed in relief, “Hey, hey, take it easy.”

He shuddered as another groan of pain left him, looking over to her, “Where's Sam?”

“Don't know. He tried to come after me but once he couldn't find me he gave up and took off. We’ll find him later.” 

She helped him to stand, and he leaned on her heavily, groaning and clutching his shoulder as they walked back to the bar. He lost his footing and nearly went down but she steadied him. 

“Come on, put your arm around me.” Painfully he obeyed, placing his arm over her shoulders she could take most of his weight, one of her arms wrapped around his waist as the other replaced his over his wound, “I got you, little brother. Come on.”

Once they got back to the bar Jo helped her sit him at the table and carefully take his jacket off. Angel ripped the sleeve of his black crew neck shirt to survey the wound before sharing a knowing look with him. He was already watching her, trying to stifle a groan.

“Jo, you got a first aid kit?” She nodded quickly, “Go get it.” Once she disappeared outside Angel went over to the bar and grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels and two shot glasses, “Take a drink. You know you're gonna need it.”

A few seconds later Jo hurried in with a small black bag. She handed it over to Angel who opened it and got to work. After taking out all of the supplies she’d need and spreading them out she poured a shot of distilled alcohol into the untouched glass before pouring some onto a gauze pad. 

Pulling a chair over to him she gave him another warning, “I have to take it out and it's gonna hurt like a bitch.” 

His jaw clenched but nodded at her nonetheless and she got to work. Instantly he gripped the edge of the table with his right hand as searing pain entered his left shoulder. He grunted and groaned loudly as she dug out the bullet but tried to stay as still as possible. Jo watched them worriedly as Angel dug deeper and he groaned even louder, sending a glare right over to her and nearly pulling away.

She sent him the same glare, “Don't be a baby, Dean.” She pulled him back and sent him a warning eye, “ _Stop moving._ ”

When she continued he groaned again, stiffening up, “ _God_!”

“Almost. Alright, got it. Got it.” She dropped the bloodstained bullet in the shot glass of distilled alcohol and smiled as Dean grabbed the JD and took a few healthy swigs from the bottle, “Wasn't so bad, was it?”

“Are you kidding me?” He took a deep breath, glad the worst of it was over as she dressed it, “ _You're a butcher_.”

“ _Boo hoo_.” She rolled her eyes, “You're welcome, ass.”

Jo couldn't help but chuckle at them but frowned along with Angel once Dean tried to get up.

“We done? Lets go.”

She pulled him back down, “We can't get Sam if I’m worried about you bleeding out, so _relax_.”

Dean glared but complied and took another swig from the bottle as she started layering the wound with gauze and tape.

“So… how did you guys know?” Jo asked quietly, earning their attention, “That he was possessed?”

Dean flinched a little at the pressure Angel put on the wound but answered, “Uh, we didn't… Just knew that it couldn't have been him.”

She nodded looking away from them painfully, earning Deans worry, “You okay?”

“I know demons _lie_ , but… do they ever tell the truth too?”

“Um…” Dean looked to Angel curiously who raised a brow before he answered, “Yeah, sometimes, I guess.”

Angel nodded, looking over at her curiously before focusing back on her brother's wound, “Especially if they know it'll mess with your head.”

Dean took another swig, “Why do you ask?”

“Nothing. Doesn't matter.” She shook her head in dismissal before looking between them, “Do you guys have an idea where he's headed to next?”

“So far he's been going after the nearest hunter, so…” Dean frowned, “Closest one we know lives in South Dakota.”

“I’m done. Lets go.” Angel got up, followed by Dean and turned to nod at Jo, “Thanks for your help, Jo. Sorry about all this.”

She got up as well, “I’m coming with you guys.”

“Uh…” Dean frowned at her, “You're not coming.”

“The hell I'm not.” She glared at him as she put her hands on her hips, “I'm a part of this now.”

Angel sighed heavily at her but Deans the one that dismissed her, “I can't say it more plainly than this: _You try to follow us and I'll tie you right back to that post and leave you here_ .” He motioned between himself and his sister, “This is our fight. I'm not getting your blood on our hands. _That's just how it's gonna be_.”

“Wait. _Here_.” Jo called as they walked out, she handed out a prescription pill bottle when he turned around, “Take these, they'll help with the pain.”

“Thanks.” He nodded, looking at her for a long minute, “I'll call you later, okay?”

Jo sighed as he watched them walk out, “No you won't.”

**_Sioux Falls, South Dakota…_ **

Sam walked slowly up the steps of a house and knocked on the door. Bobby Singer opened it curiously before grinning and laughing with pleasure at the sight of Sam.

“Sam!”

Sam bared his teeth in a smile, “Hey, Bobby.”

“It's been a while.” Sam grinned sheepishly as Bobby stepped aside, “Well, come on in.”

He entered slowly, glancing at the ceiling, and Bobby shut the door behind him. They walked together into Bobby's study, which was dimly lit and covered wall to wall with stacks of books and papers.

“So what brings you?”

“Working a job nearby, and thought I'd stop in and say hey.”

“Well, where are Ang and Dean?”

“Angies working a case with a guy shes been seeing and Dean…” Sam chuckled, “He’s holed up somewhere with a girl and a twelve pack.”

Bobby walked into the back room, leaving Sam alone. He eyed the ceiling again as Bobby spoke.

“Oh yeah? She pretty?”

Sam's eyes cloud over black for a moment, “You ask me, he's in way over his head.”

Bobby returned with a beer in each hand and handed one over to Sam, “Well, it's good to see you.” He raised his bottle, “ _To John._ ”

Sam raised his beer as well, “ _To Dad_.”

They toasted and swig the beer, Sam turning to look up at the ceiling again. As he swallowed the beer he spewed suddenly, choking, falling to his hands and knees and coughing and gagging painfully. Bobby sipped his beer, unconcerned.

“What'd you do?!”

“A little holy water in the beer. _Sam_ never would have noticed, but then, _you're not Sam are you_.” Bobby smirked, “Don't try to con a con man.”

He slammed his fist into Sam’s face, knocking him out.

**_Later on…_ **

Possessed-Sam was tied to a chair, before a fire and under the very same protective circle the four of them had used on the Meg-demon. 

Dean smacked him in the face to wake him up, “ _Hey_.”

Sam looked up and saw the painted Devil's Trap before glaring at Dean who stood in front of him, “ _Dean_ . Back from the dead. Getting to be a regular thing for you, isn't it? _Like a cockroach_.”

“ _How about I smack that smartass right out of your mouth_?”

“Oh, _careful_ , now.” He smirked, “Wouldn't want to bruise this _fine_ packaging.”

“Actually, what we have planned isn't gonna hurt _Sam_ all that much.” Angel smirked as she walked into the room with a large bucket, “ _You_ , on the other hand…” She tossed the bucketful of holy water on him, who sizzled and roared at the contact, “Feel like talking now?”

“Sam's still my meat puppet.” He growled, “ _I'll make him bite off his tongue_.”

“No, you won't be in him long enough.” Dean turned, “ _Bobby_.”

Bobby began reading from a book in latin, “ _Exorcisamus te, omnes in mundus spiritus; omnes satanica potestas, omnes incursio_ …”

Dean talked over him, “See, whatever _bitch-boy_ master plan you demons are cooking up? _You're not getting Sam_ . ‘Cause we’re gonna kill _every_ one of you first.”

The demon struggled painfully, then threw back his head and laughed maniacally, cutting off Bobby in surprise.

“You really think _that's_ what this is about? _The master plan_ ? I don't give a _rat's ass_ about the master plan!”

“ _Humiliares sub potente magnu dei_ …”

“ _Oops_ .” He smiled when Bobby trailed off in confusion, “Doesn't seem to be working. See, _I learned a few new tricks_ .” He lowered his head and began growling Latin, “ _Spiritus in mundus, un glorum suarum umitite palatum iram, domine_ …”

The fire behind him flared and the room shook as he continued.

“Uh… _this_ isn't familiar.” Angel turned wide eyes, “What the hell's going on, Bobby?”

Bobby then caught sight of the burn mark on Sam's forearm as he continued to chant, “It's a binding link! It's like a lock! He's locked himself inside Sam's body!”

“What the hell do we do?”

“I don't know!”

Sam threw back his head and screamed. The shaking walls and ceilings began to crack, breaking the protective circle. 

“There.” Sam's eyes were now demon black as he lowered his head, “That's better.”

He jerked his head left and Bobby went flying. He jerked his head right and Angel and Dean went flying, landing heavily against the far wall. The holy water flask fell from Deans hand as he flinched in pain from his shoulder. 

Sam ripped free of the restraints and stalked over to them, “You know when people want to describe the worst possible thing? _They say it's like hell_ .” He knelt in front of Angel and grabbed a fistful of her hair before rearing back and clocking her with a right jab, “You know there's a reason for that. Hell is like, um…” She grabbed onto his shirt trying to stay conscious as he hit her again, “ _Well, it's like hell_ . Even for demons.” He hit her again, busting open her nose before tossing her to the side and turning to kick Dean in the face hard twice, “It's a prison, made of bone and flesh and blood and fear.” He punched Dean before grabbing his groggy head and holding it steady, “ _And you two sent me back there_.”

Dean sneered, “Meg.”

“No, _not anymore_ . Now I'm _Sam_ .” He hit him again before digging his right thumb into Deans bullet wound, “By the way. I saw your Dad there- he says _howdy_ .” He dug in further and Dean tried to pull his hand away as he groaned in pain, “All that I had to hold onto, was that I would climb out one day, and that I was going to torture you three. _Nice and slow_ . Like pulling the wings off an insect.” He shoved Dean’s grasping hand away, “But whatever I do to you, it's nothing compared to what you do to yourself, is it? I can see it in your eyes, Dean. _You're worthless_ . You couldn't save your Dad, and deep down… _you know that you can't save your brother_. Your family would have been better off without you.”

Sam reared back to hit Dean again but suddenly Angel and Bobby were both behind him. Bobby grabbed his arm and Angel pressed a hot poker into the mark on Sam's arm. He screamed in pain, then screamed again as black demon smoke billowed out of him and up the chimney. Angel sagged against Bobby weak as Dean pulled himself up painfully. Sam fell to the ground, then came to himself, scrabbling and looking around in confusion before grabbing his arm in sudden pain.

Dean watched him closely, “Sammy?”

Sam looked around at the three of them in confusion, “Did I miss anything?”

Dean reared back and right-hooked Sam in the cheek. His eyes then rolled back and he collapsed as Sam grabbed his cheek in confusion.

**SECTION FIVE**

Sam sat behind Bobby’s table with an icepack on his arm. Angel and Dean were on the other side of the table both groggily holding ice bags to their faces. Deans bullet wounds had fresh bandaging thanks to Bobby.

“By the way…” Sam looked between them cautiously, “You guys really look like crap.”

“Yeah?” Dean turned to glare at him a little, “ _Right back atcha_.”

Bobby walked in slowly, looking concerned, “You three ever hear of a hunter named Steve Wandell?”

Angel's face went blank, “Why do you ask?”

“Just heard from a friend that Wandell's dead. Murdered in his own house.” Sam swallowed hard and immediately looked down, “You wouldn't know anything about that?”

“No sir.” Angel immediately answered, giving Sam a ‘ _don't even think about it_ ’ look, “We never heard of the guy.”

“ _Angel_.”

“ _Sam_.”

“Good. Keep it that way.” Bobby interrupted pointedly, “Wandell's buddies are looking for _someone_ or _something_ to string up, and they're not going to slow down to listen to reason. You understand what I'm saying?”

“Yeah. Come on, boys.” Angel stood, placing her ice pack on the table, “Thanks for your help, Bobby.”

Dean turned to Sam with another small glare, “You remember where the car is?”

“ _Here_.” Bobby stopped them and handed each of them a small metal charm, “Take these.”

Sam looked down at the pendent curiously. It was a metal pentagram, or endless knot, that looked to be surrounded by the sun.

“What are they?”

“ _Charms_. They'll fend off possession.” Bobby explained, “That demon's still out there. This'll stop it from getting back up in ya.”

“That sounds vaguely _dirty_ , but uh…” Dean smiled, “Thanks.”

“You're welcome.” He patted Dean's shoulder with a smile before accepting a hug from Angel, “You three be careful now.”

Sam smiled at him, “You too.”

Bobby looked back at him seriously, not returning the smile and Sam faltered but followed his siblings out. At the door, Dean tossed the ice bag back to Bobby, earning a smile from the old man. Angel turned once more and waved a goodbye, she too earned a smile from him. All of which earned a furrowed brow from Sam.

**_On the road…_ **

Dean drove down a dark stretch of highway as REO Speedwagon’s Back on the Road Again played. Angel sat in the backseat with her head leaning back and her eyes closed as Sam sat beside Dean frowning quietly.

Dean glanced over in concern, “You okay?” When he didn't answer Dean looked over again, “ _Sam_? Is that you in there?”

“I was awake for some of it…” His voice sounded pained causing Angel to open her eyes and raise her head to look at him, “I watched myself kill Wandell with my own two hands. _I saw the light go out in his eyes_.”

“That must have been awful.”

“That's not my point. I almost carved up _Jo_ too, but no matter what I did, neither one of you would shoot.”

“Sam, that wasn't you doing all those things.” Angel dismissed, “It was the demon. What we did was the right move.”

“Yeah, _this_ time. What about _next_ time?”

“Sam, when Dad told us…” Dean trailed off, his jaw tensing, “That we might have to kill you, it was only if we couldn't save you. Now, if it's the last thing either of us do, _we’re gonna save you_.”

After a pause, Dean laughed softly earning a look from Sam, “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Dean, _what_?”

“Dude, you- you like, _full-on had a girl inside you for like a whole week_.”

He laughed again, wholeheartedly. From the backseat Angel shook her head as she too laughed at that. Sam’s frown cracked before he laughed along with them.

Dean shook his head, “That's pretty naughty.”

“On that note…” Angel leaned forward, “What do you two boys say to stopping at a tattoo shop?” She held up the charm with a smirk, “I got an idea…”


	12. All Hell Breaks Loose: Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam is abducted by the Yellow-Eyed Demon and finds himself in a ghost town with other children who have special abilities. They learn the Demon has brought them together to initiate his endgame: an all-out war against the human race. Angel and Dean enlist Bobby's help to find Sam before the battle begins, but they arrive too late.

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

**WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, death, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

_Previously skipped: Tall Tales, Roadkill, Heart, Hollywood Babylon, Folsom Prison Blues and What Is & What Should Never Be_

**_Cafe, Sunnyside Diner…_ **

Dean pulled the Impala up to the diner and parked as he sighed. He looked at Sam before the diner hungrily as he continued the conversation with their sister on the phone.

“Alright, what’ve you got?”

_“Someone's cranky.” Angel said humorously before explaining, “Well, spotting of a recently deceased new young mother and wife have been popping out all over town before mysterious deaths have followed. So… Asa and I visited her grave and guess what we found.”_

Sam frowned, “Dead circle of grass around the grave?”

_“Yeah, so i guess we’re dealing with a zombie again. Asa and I can handle it but for good measure, how far out are you two?”_

“We’re a few hours outside of town.” Dean answered quickly, “We’re gonna get a bite and then we’ll head over there.”

_“Ah, so that's why you're cranky.” She chuckled, “Alright, see you in a few. Stay safe.”_

“You too. Give Asa our best.” Dean hung up then turned to Sam pointedly and handed him some cash, “Don’t forget the extra onions this time, huh?”

“ _Dude_ .” Sam scoffed, “ _I’m_ the one who's gonna have to ride in the car with your extra onions for another two hours.” 

Dean simply grinned at him so he sighed heavily and got out of the car.

“Hey.” Dean called before he closed the door, “See if they’ve got any pie.” Glaring at him once more, Sam shut the door, “ _Bring me some pie_ !” He sighed to himself happily, “I _love_ me some pie.” 

Dean watched Sam go into the café and talk to the waiter. Suddenly, his car radio became staticky so he glanced down and fiddled with it, but it turned off completely. When he looked back up, the inside of the café was empty. _No waiter, no Sam_. He ran into the café to discover one customer at a booth was dead, face down in a puddle of blood.

Dean drew his gun, “Sam?” 

He paced forward and looked around, finding that the employees were also dead. They had their throats slit. He opened the back door and looked around outside frantically.

“Sam?!” Something caught his attention on the door, “ _Sulfur_.” He raced back out the front door, heading back to the car, “Sam! Sammy!” No response, “Sam? Sammy!” Still nothing, “SAM!”

**_Cold Oak, South Dakota…_ **

Sam woke up in the middle of nowhere, lying on the ground. A few buildings lined the street he was on, run down and abandoned. He stood and took out his phone, but got no cell reception so he decided to search the deserted town. Most of the buildings were broken down or locked from the outside so he didn't find much. Suddenly, Sam heard a creaking noise nearby and grabbed a plank of wood, ready to fight, when Andy Gallagher turned the corner. Sam brandished the plank, and Andy jumped back, startled.

“ _Andy_?”

“Sam!” A little relief filled him but not much, “What are you doing here?”

He shook his head, “I don’t know.”

“What am _I_ doing here?!”

“I don’t know. Just-”

“ _Where are we_?!”

“Andy, look-” Sam threw the plank to the side before brushing his hands off, “ _Calm down_.”

“I can’t _calm down_ !” He yelled frantically, “ _I just woke up in freaking Frontierland_!”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

“ _Honestly_ ?” He breathed heavily as he shut his eyes and put his hands on his forehead, “My fourth bong load. It was _weird_ .” He opened his eyes and they widened with fear, “All of a sudden, there was this _really_ intense smell. Like, uh…”

“Like sulfur?”

Andys eyes widened even more, “How did you know that?”

Something crossed Sam's mind just then and he stiffened, “ _Dean_.”

“Your- your brother- is he _here_?!”

“I don’t know where he is.” Despair filled him, “I don’t know if he’s…”

Suddenly, both men heard the screaming of a woman in the distance followed by the rattling of a door. They quickly approached another deserted building and found that she was locked inside, banging on the door for help.

Sam called out, “Hello?”

“No!” She screamed hysterically as she rattled the door violently, “Help me! Help me, _please_!”

“Okay, I’m here.” Sam calmed as he searched around for something to help her, “We’re gonna get you out, alright? Just hold on a second.”

“ _Please_!”

Sam grabbed a large rock and smashed the padlock on the door, “Alright, one second.”

“ _Please_!”

Sam unlocked the door and was shocked to see Ava Wilson step out, “ _Ava_?”

“Oh my God!” She sobbed and catapulted into him for a gigantic hug, “Sam!”

“So…” Andy looked between them, still freaked out, “I guess you guys know each other.”

Sam looked over at him before he looked back down at Ava in shock, “Yeah-”

“How did you-” Ava sobbed, “I mean, how did you-”

“Ava…” Sam frowned looking her over, “Have you been here this whole time?”

“What ‘ _whole time’_? I just woke up in there, like, a half an hour ago!”

“Well, you’ve been gone for _five months_ . Angel, Dean and I have been looking for you _everywhere_.”

“Okay, _that’s_ impossible…” She staggered back at his words, “I saw you _two days_ ago.”

“You didn’t.” He shook his head, “I’m sorry.”

“But… that makes no sense. It’s… not…” She gasped, “Oh my God! My fiancée, Brady! If I’ve been missing for that long, he must be _freaking_ out!”

Sam cocked his head not knowing what to say, “Well…”

Ava whimpered but turned and noticed Andy. She stared at him in confusion.

“Hey. _Andy_ .” He waved awkwardly, “ _Also freaking out_.”

“ _Okay_ .” She looked from him to Sam pointedly, “ _What’s happening_?”

“I, uh, uh, I don’t really know yet, but I know _one_ thing.” He looked between them grimly, “ _I know what the three of us have in common_.”

They suddenly heard a man’s voice calling out from the distance, “Hello? Is anybody there?”

Sam's brows shot up, “Maybe more than three.”

They ran to the side of another building where a man in a soldier's uniform was standing. He was accompanied by a blonde girl.

“Hello? Hey!” Sam called as he ran around to meet them, “Hey, you guys all right?”

The man shrugged, “I think so.”

“I’m Sam.”

He nodded, “I’m Jake.”

“Lily.”

Sam looked between them, “Are there any more of you?”

Jake shook his head as they walked over to the edge of the porch they were on, “Nah.”

“How did we even get here?” Lilly asked as she crossed her arms, “A minute ago, _I was in San Diego_.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better…” Jake turned to her with a sigh, “I went to sleep last night in _Afghanistan_.”

“Let me take a wild guess.” Sam earned their attention again, “You two are both _twenty-three_ ?” They looked to him with raised brows, “We _all_ are, and we _all_ have abilities.”

Jake narrowed his eyes, “ _What_?”

“It started a little over a year ago?” Sam explained, “You found you could do things? Things you didn’t think were possible?” They both nodded, “ _I have visions_. I see things before they happen.”

“Yeah.” Ava nodded as she stepped beside him, “Me, too.”

“Yeah, and I can put thoughts into people’s heads. Like, _make them do stuff_ .” Andy nodded with a grin but quickly fretted at Jake's look, “Oh, but don’t worry. I don’t think it works on you guys.” He walked up the porch with a grin, turning to Sam and Ava as well, “Oh, _but get this_ \- I’ve been practicing. _Training_ my brain, like meditation, right?” Jake looked behind him and sent an annoyed look to Sam who raised his brows in understanding, “So now, it’s not just _thoughts_ I can beam out, but _images_ , too. Like, _anything_ I want. _Bam_ ! People, they see it. This one guy I know- _total dick_ , right? I used it on him: _gay porn_ . All hours of the day.” He chuckled, “It was just like… _you should have seen the look on his face_ !” The other four look unamused, at best, disgusted at worst and he frowned, “Uh…” He stepped down slowly from the porch and returned next to Sam, “ _Okay_.”

“So, you go, ‘ _Simon says give me your wallet_ ’, and they do?” Lilly glared from Andy to Sam, “You have _visions_ ? That’s great! I’d _kill_ for something like that!”

Sam frowned, “Lily, listen, it’s okay-”

“ _No,_ It’s _not_ . I touch people? _Their hearts stop_ . I can _barely_ leave my house. My life’s not exactly _improved_ , so, _screw you_ . I just wanna go _home_.”

“And _what_ ?” Jake glared as she turned to walk away, “ _We don’t_?”

“You know what?” She swung around, waving a finger at him, “ _Don’t_ talk to me like that, not right-”

“Hey, guys, please.” Sam reigned them in, “Look, whether we like it or not, we’re all here, and so we _all_ have to deal with this.”

Andy looked over, “Who brought us here?”

“It’s less of a _‘who’_ . It’s more of a… _‘what’.”_

Ava frowned, “What does that mean?”

“It’s a…” Sam paused for a moment looking at all of them for a beat before answering, “Huh, _it's a demon_.”

At that answer, Lilly huffed out a breath of disgust.

**_On the side of the highway…_ **

Angel, Bobby and Dean were all parked on the side of the road, pouring over a map.

“This is it.” Bobby motioned, “All demonic signs and omens over the past month.”

“Bobby, you're kidding right?” Angel scoffed, “There's nothing here. _Nothing_.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, come on, there’s gotta be _something_ .” Dean shifted, “What about the, the- the normal, low-level stuff? You know, _exorcisms_ , that kind of thing.”

“That’s what I’m telling you: _there’s nothing_. It’s completely quiet.”

“How are we supposed to find him then? _Close our eyes and point_ ?” Angel scoffed as she went into full on panic mode, she turned and pushed Dean back, “Why'd you leave him alone, Dean? _What the hell were you thinking_?!”

“Angel-” He grabbed her arms as she went in again, “He went in to get the food. I didn't know-”

“Now, that's enough!” Bobby dismissed, “The only thing at blame here would be the _demons_ alright? Neither of you are at fault, you hear me?”

“ _Yes_.” Angel took a deep breath as she wiped a hand down her face, “I’m sorry Dean… That wasn't fair.”

“It's okay, Ang.” He took her in for a hug when his phone rang, it was Ash from the roadhouse, “Ash, what do you got?”

_“Okay, listen, it’s a big negatory on Sam-”_

“Oh, _come on_ , man! You’ve gotta give us _something_. We’re looking at a three thousand-mile haystack here.”

_“Listen, Dean. I did find something.”_

“Well, _what_?”

_“I can’t talk over this line, Dean.”_

“Come on.” Dean rolled his eyes, “I don’t have time for this!”

_“Make time, okay? Because this- Not only does this almost definitely help you find your brother, this is, ah, it’s huge. So get here. Now.”_

He hung up so Dean turned to his sister and Bobby, “I guess we’re going to the Roadhouse. Come on.”

**_Back in Cold Oak, South Dakota…_ **

“So…” Jake whirled around to face Sam after he explained, “ _We’re soldiers in a demon war to bring on the Apocalypse_?!”

“Well, when you put it like that-”

“And- and _we’ve_ been _picked_ ? _Why us_?!”

“I’m not sure, okay? But look, I just know-”

“Sam, I’m sorry.” Ava frowned, “Psychics and spoon-bending is _one_ thing, but _demons_?”

“Look, I know it sounds crazy, but-”

Jake scoffed, “It doesn’t just _sound_ it.”

“I don’t really care what you think, _okay_ ?” Sam interjected hurriedly, “If we’re all gathered here together, then that means it’s _starting_ and that we’ve gotta-”

“The only thing _I’ve_ gotta do is stay away from wackjobs, okay? _I’ve heard enough_ .” Jake stepped down off the porch, “I’m better off on my own.” He looked around at the others, “ _FYI_ , so are _you_.”

“Jake, hold on.” Sam called hurriedly as he stomped away from them, “ _Jake_!”

Jake ignored him and continued walking until he was alone in the town. Suddenly, he saw a young blonde girl standing inside one of the buildings. She stared at him through the door, then vanished. Jake followed her, entering the abandoned schoolroom.

“Hello?” He heard the girl giggling somewhere in the room as he looked for her, “It’s alright. Don’t be scared. Are you lost?” She didn't respond, “Hello?”

When he heard screeching coming from the chalkboard, he turned to look at it, and the words ‘ _I will not kill’_ were written over and over again on the board. The little girl appeared in the room, laughing. Her nails grew to form claws, and her face contorted menacingly.

Fear and shock struck Jake as he backed away from her, “Get back!”

Sam suddenly entered the building, grabbing an iron poker and hitting the girl with it. She dissolved into a cloud of black smoke, which exited the schoolroom as the other three hurried inside.

_  
“Just so you know…” Sam looked between all of them, “That was a demon.”_

**SECTION TWO**

“Now, that _thing-_ I’m not sure, but I think it was an Acheri.” Sam explained as he led them back outside, “A demon that disguises itself as a little girl. Still doesn’t tell us where we are.” He turned and noticed Andy's tense freaked out face, “Andy, are you with me or what?”

“Give me a minute.” He answered still stunned, “I’m still working through, ‘ _Demons are real_ ’.”

The group kept walking but when Sam saw a large, rusty bell hanging from a wooden structure in front of one of the buildings he stopped.

“I’ve seen that bell before. I think I know where we are now…” He rolled his eyes as his jaw tensed, “Cold Oak, South Dakota: _A town so haunted, every single resident fled_.”

“ _Swell_ .” Ava scoffed, “Good to know we’re somewhere so _historical_.”

Lilly turned to Sam, “Why in the world would that demon or _whatever_ put us _here_?”

He shook his head, “I’m wondering the same thing.”

“You know what? It doesn’t matter.” She turned and started to walk away from them as she anxiously pulled on the chain around her neck, “ _Clearly_ , the only sane thing to do here is _get the hell out of Dodge_.”

“Wait, hold on.” Sam stopped her, “Lily, the only way out is through miles of woods.”

“ _Beats hanging out with demons_.”

“Lily, _look_ , we don’t know what’s going on yet.” Sam pressed, “I mean, we don’t even know how many of them are out there right now.”

“Yeah, he’s right.” Jake agreed, “We should-”

“ _Don’t_ say _‘we’_ !” She swung around and stomped back over to them, “I’m not part of _‘we’_ . I have _nothing_ in common with any of you.”

Sam walked over to her, “Okay, look, I know-”

“You don’t know anything! I to-” She paused for a second, her lip trembling, “I accidentally touched my girlfriend…”

The rest of them looked around, stunned.

Sam's eyes softened, “I’m sorry.”

“ _Whatever_ . I feel like I’m in a nightmare, and it just keeps getting _worse and worse_.”

“I’ve lost people, too.” Sam said, his voice full of understanding, “I have a brother and a sister out there right now that could be dead, for all I know. We’re all in bad shape, but I’m _telling_ you, the best way out of this is _to stick together_.”

“ _Fine_.”

Sam nodded and the group continued looking around the town, “We’re looking for _iron, silver, salt-_ any kind of weapon.”

Jake frowned, “ _Salt_ is a weapon?”

“ _It’s a brave new world_.”

Andy sighed, “Well, hopefully there’s _food_ in your world, _because I’m frickin’ starving_.”

As they entered another building, Lilly looked like she was about to follow, but stayed behind. She wandered off on her own, away from the group. She walked in the woods, trying to find a way out, when she suddenly heard the little girl from earlier giggling. She continued walking, trying to ignore it as she hurried.

Meanwhile, Sam was searching one of the abandoned houses. He found a knife and picked it up. When he turned he saw Ava massaging her head.

“Hey, you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m just…” She grimaced, “I don’t know, a little dizzy.”

“Are you sure it’s not some kind of-”

“ _What_ ? Some kind of _freaky vision_ thing? _No_ , more like I’d kill for a sandwich. I haven’t eaten since…” She frowned, “Well, who knows?” She quickly dismissed his worried eyes, “No, don’t worry. I’m fine. _Except for every single thing that’s happening_.”

“You guys!” Andy's voice called from outside, “I found something!”

Sam and Ava join the two men. 

Andy held up two bags, “Salt!”

“That’s great, Andy.” Sam smiled and looked around at the group, “Now, we all can… where’s Lily?”

Ava looked around, “Lily?”

Panic struck Sam, “Lily!”

They suddenly heard the sound of wood cracking and breaking. The four of them walked to the water tower and at the top saw Lilly hanging from a noose, dead.”

“Oh, my God!” Ava whimpered before putting a hand to her mouth, “Okay, that’s officially- Sam, _she’s dead_ ! She’s _dead_ !” Ava cried as she turned to him and pointed at Lilly, “You said we were chosen for a reason. _That is not chosen_ ! That’s _killed_ ! Okay, _we have to get out of here_!”

Sam stopped her from walking past him, “Stop.”

“Yeah…” Andy stared up at Lilly's body, “I second that emotion.”

Jake shook his head, “Not sure that’s an option.”

Ava whirled on him, “ _What_?”

“Lily was trying to leave.” Sam explained, “The demon’s not gonna let us get away that easy. We’ve gotta gear up for the next attack.”

“Oh.” Ava scoffed, “ _Gear up_ ? I’m not a _soldier_. I can’t do that!”

“If you wanna stay alive, _you’re gonna have to_.” He sent one last look to Lilly and the perimeter before turning, “Let’s go.”

Jake looked at her sadly as they all walked back towards the building they had been in earlier, “I’ll get her down.”

“You know…” Sam sighed heavily and shook his head as Andy came to stand beside him, “I was just thinking about how much Angel and Dean would help right now. _I’d give my arm for a working phone_.”

Realization flashed in Andys eyes, “You know, you may not need one.” He shrugged, “I’ve never tried it long-distance before, but do you have anything of Angel or Dean’s on you? Like, something one of them touched?”

“Uh…” Sam searched his pockets quickly before retrieving a small piece of paper, “I’ve got a receipt. Would that work?”

“Yeah.” Andy took it and gave him a look upon seeing the signature on the receipt, “ _D. Hasselhoff_?”

“Yeah, that’s Dean’s signature.” He motioned his head with a small grimace, “It.. It’s hard to explain.”

Andy smirked, “ _Alright_.”

**_At the Roadhouse…_ **

Dean, Bobby and Angel turned the corner to the Roadhouse. When they get there, however, the entire building has burned to the ground.

“What the hell?”

Angel gasped as they got out of the car and began walking among the debris. Every single part of the Roadhouse had been destroyed.

“Oh no…”

Bobby scoffed, “Oh, my God.”

Dean turned, “You see Ellen?”

He shook his head, “No.”

Angel shook her head as well as she looked through the debris, “No Ash, either.”

Dean suddenly bent down and saw Ash’s watch in the pile of rubble. He pulled on it and saw it was still attached to Ash’s very burnt corpse.

“Oh, Ash, _damn it_!”

Bobby shook his head as they eyed the wreckage on the way back to the Impala, “This is…”

“ _What the hell did Ash know_ ? We’ve got no way of knowing where Ellen is, or _if she’s even alive_ . We’ve got no clue _what_ Ash was gonna tell us.” Angels voice rose with panic at each question and Dean looked at her, guilt and sadness in his eyes, “Now, _how the hell are we gonna find Sam_?”

Bobby looked between them, “We’ll find him.”

Suddenly, Dean clutched his head in pain with a groan.

Angel hurried over to him, “What's wrong?” 

He groaned and doubled over as he saw an image of the Cold Oak bell very quickly.

“Dean?” Angel grasped his arm, “What's going on?”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head, “A headache?”

Bobby's eyebrows furrowed, “You get headaches like that a lot?”

“No. Must be the stress.” He chuckled tightly, “I could have sworn I saw something.”

“What do you mean?” Bobby looked from Angel back to him with worry, “Like a _vision_?”

“Like what Sam gets?”

“What? No! I’m not some psychic.”

Suddenly, the vision came back and Dean fell against the car, moaning in pain as he saw another image, this time of Sam.

“Dean? _Dean_!” She helped him back up as she looked at him with worry, “Are you okay? You see something?”

Bobby came to stand beside them worriedly, “You with us?”

“Yeah, I think so. I saw Sam.” He looked to his sister, “I _saw_ him, Angel.”

Bobby's brows went up in shock, “It _was_ a vision.”

“Yeah. I don’t know _how_ , but yeah. _Whew_.” He grimaced again, “That was about as fun as getting kicked in the jewels.”

“I’ll bet.” Angel studied him, “Did you see where he is?”

“Not exactly, but uh… there was a _bell_.”

Bobby eyed him, “What kind of bell?”

“Like a big bell with some kind of engraving on it, I don’t know.”

“ _Engraving_?” At Deans nod Bobby pressed him, “Was it a tree? Like, an oak tree?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

Angel turned to Bobby with hopeful eyes, “You know the bell?”

“Yeah…” His face went grim, “I know where Sam is.”

**_Back in Cold Oak, South Dakota…_ **

Jake and Sam were in a barn, trying to break some of the iron bars off one of the machines. While Sam struggled, Jake grabbed one of the bars and ripped it off effortlessly with his bare hands. Sam stared at him, stunned.

“I’m not Superman or anything.” Jake looked from the bar in his hand back to Sam with a head shake and a small smile, “It’s no big deal.”

“You were in Afghanistan when this started?”

“Yeah, I started getting headaches, and then there was this accident. This guy flipped his vehicle on a bad road, got pinned underneath. I lifted it off him like it was nothing. Everybody said it was a… _fluke adrenaline_ thing.”

“But then you did it again, right?”

“Bench-pressed 800 pounds, _stone-cold calm_.” Sams brows went up and Jake smiled, “I never told anybody, of course. It was just too crazy.”

“Yeah, well…” Sam shrugged, “Crazy’s relative.”

“I’m starting to get that.” Jake nodded and watched him as he went back to getting his own iron bar, “By the way, I appreciate what you’re doing here.”

“What am I doing?”

“ _Keeping calm, keeping them calm.”_ He motioned to where the others were before meeting Sam's eyes, “Especially considering how freaked to hell you really are.” Jake kept his eye when Sam raised his brows, “I’ve been in some deep crap before myself. _I know the look_.”

“You wanna know the truth?” Sam smiled, speaking after they shared a long pause, “I've got two older siblings… a sister and brother. They're both always telling me how they're gonna watch out for me, how everything’s gonna be okay. You know, kind of like I’ve been telling them.”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t know if I believe it this time. I mean, the size of what’s coming- _it’s bigger than anyone has ever seen_ . I mean, it’s gonna get _bad_ , and I don’t know if-”

“If we’re gonna make it?” Jake interjected with a head shake, “It doesn’t matter if we believe it. Only matters that _they_ do.”

**_Later on…_ **

Sam and Ava were in one of the houses, lining the doors and windows with salt.

“My horoscope said I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed.” Ava scoffed before turning to Sam, “How you doing? Holding up?”

“I’m okay.” Sam nodded, offering a small smile, “What about you?”

“ _Not so okay_ .” She frowned, “Why _us_ , Sam? What did we do to deserve this?”

“Just lucky, I guess.”

“If it wasn’t for _bad luck_ , we’d have _no luck_ at all. I just can’t wait for this all to be over so I can just pretend it never happened. I just wanna curl up with Brady and watch bad TV.” She noticed Sam shift uncomfortably, “What is it? Sam… do you know something that I don’t?”

“Look, Ava… I’m sorry. I wish I didn’t have to tell you this.”

“Tell me _what_?”

“When the demon broke into your house to take you… your fiancée didn’t make it. I’m sorry.”

“No, that’s…” Sam moved to hold her while she sobbed, “No!”

That night, the entire group was sitting in one room, silent. Sam was struggling to stay awake, closing his eyes every so often. Suddenly, in the corner of the room, he saw the Yellow-Eyed Demon.

“Jake!” Sam yelled but the soldier didn't move, “Behind you!”

Yellow Eyes smiled, “ _Howdy_ , Sam.”

His eyes widened, “I’m dreaming.”

The demon slowly walked closer to him, “What do you say you and I take a little walk?”

**SECTION THREE**

“You’re awfully quiet, Sam” In Sam’s dream, Yellow Eyes lead him outside, “You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“I’m gonna _tear you to shreds_.” Sam glared hatefully, “I swear to-”

Yellow Eyes chuckled, “When you wake up, tiger, _you give it your best shot_.”

“Where are Dean and Angel?”

“Quit worrying about them.” He dismissed, “ _I’d worry more about yourself_.”

“ _Why_?” He scoffed and opened his arms challengingly, “You gonna kill me?”

“I’m trying to _help_ you. _That’s_ why we’re talking. _You’re the one I’m rooting for_.”

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

“ _Welcome to the Miss America pageant_ .” He grinned, “ _Why_ do you think you’re here? This is a _competition_ , and only _one_ of you crazy kids is gonna make it out of here alive.”

Sam's eyes widened, “I thought we were supposed to be-”

“ _Soldiers in a coming war_ ?” He nodded as he circled Sam, “That’s true, you are, but here’s the thing: _I don’t need soldiers_ . I need _soldier_ .” He put a finger up after coming to stand in front of him again, “I just need the _one_.”

“ _Why_?”

“I couldn’t just come out and _say_ that, could I, Sam? I had to let everyone think they had a fighting chance, but what _I_ need… _is a leader_.”

“To lead _who_?”

“Oh, I’ve already got my army, or _I will soon_ , anyway.”

“ _You son of a bitch_.”

“ _Honestly_ , I’m surprised you hadn’t guessed. I mean, why do you think so many children flamed out already? Max Miller and Andy’s brother, _what’s-his-name_ ? They weren’t _strong_ enough. _I’m looking for the best and brightest of your generation_.”

“ _My generation_?”

“Well, there’s _other_ generations, but let’s just worry about _yours_ . That’s why I’m here, Sam. _I wanna give you the inside track_ . You’re tough. You’re smart. You’re well-trained.” He smirked, “Thanks to your daddy. _Sam_ . Sammy… _you’re my favorite_.”

“ _You ruined my life_ .” Sam growled, “You killed _everyone_ I love.”

“The cost of doing business, I’m afraid.” He shrugged, “I mean, sweet little Jessica… _she just had to die_ . You were all set to marry that little blonde thing, _become a tax lawyer with two kids, a beer gut, and a little McMansion in the suburbs_ . I needed you _sharp_ , on the road, honing your skills. Your _gifts_.”

Sam glared, pain in his eyes, “What about my mom?”

“ _That_ was bad luck.”

“ _Bad luck_?”

“She walked in on us. _Wrong place, wrong time_.”

He shook his head, not understanding, “What does that _mean_?”

“ _It wasn’t about her_ . It was about _you_ . It’s _always_ been about _you_.”

“ _What_?”

The demon took a long pause as he watched Sam closely, “You caught me in a charitable mood. _I’ll show you_.” He snapped his fingers and transported the two of them into Sam’s nursery, back on the night Mary died, “Look familiar? It should.”

_Sam watched his six-month-old self crying in his crib, while the Yellow-Eyed Demon from the past stood over him all those years ago._

“Relax, Sam, this is just a hi-def instant replay.” Yellow-Eyes grinned, “Enjoy the show.”

_Mary Winchester entered the room, looking tired, “John?”_

Sam called out in a panic, “Mom!”

_Mary studied the back of the man who was in front of Sam’s crib, “Is he hungry?”_

_Yellow-Eyes shushed her, “Shh.”_

_She smiled a little before leaving, “Okay.”_

“Wait!” Sam called out frantically again, “Mom!”

“What did I just tell you, Sam?” Yellow-Eyes shook his head, “She can’t hear you. This isn’t real.”

_They watched as the past Yellow-Eyes sliced his own wrist with his nail and dripped some of the blood onto Baby Sam’s mouth._

Shock filled Sam, “What the hell are you doing to me?”

Yellow-Eyes grinned triumphantly, “Better than mother’s milk.”

“Does this mean I have demon blood in me?” The demon chuckled making Sam even angrier, “Answer me!”

_Mary suddenly rushed back into the room and past Yellow-Eyes turned to her, revealing his colored eyes._

_Recognition and dread filled her face, “It’s you.”_

Sam watched the exchange closely, “She knew you.”

_Mary began to walk closer, but the past Yellow-Eyes forced her against the wall. They watched as he slowly moved her up the wall while she screamed, until she was pinned to the ceiling._

“No!” Sam yelled as Mary continued her slide upward, “No!”

Present Yellow-Eyes turned to a completely devastated Sam, “I don’t think you wanna see the rest of this.”

He snapped his fingers again and Sam jolted awake in the abandoned South Dakota house.

“Sam, wake up!” Jake shook him, “Ava’s missing.”

**SECTION FOUR**

Jake and Sam rush outside, “I’ll take the barn and the hotel.” Jake instructed, “You take the houses.”

“Alright. Meet back here in ten minutes, okay?”

“Okay.”

Sam began his walk to the houses as Ava peeked her head out from around the corner, but Sam didn't see her. Meanwhile, Andy stayed back at the abandoned building. When he turned, Ava was standing in the room with him. She dragged her finger along the salt on the windowsill, breaking the line.

“Ava, where’d you go?” He frowned, “Didn’t you hear us yelling?”

“Yeah.” Her voice was light, nonchalant, “I heard you.”

She stared at him a moment before putting her hands to her head in concentration. A cloud of black demon smoke appeared outside the window. Since the salt line had been broken, it was able to enter the room through the window.

Andy watched her and then the smoke in fear and confusion as he backed away, “What are you doing?”

The smoke suddenly materialized into the demonic little girl.

“Holy-”

The demon girl knocked him down and wasted no time in killing him. He screamed in pain, as his blood splattered everywhere until he was completely dead. Ava watched his corpse for a second, amused, then began screaming. Outside, Sam heard her and rushed inside, stopping at seeing her hysterically in tears as she pointed as Andy's body.

“Sam!” She wailed, “I just found him like this!”

Shock filled the hunter, “What happened?”

“I don’t know!”

“How’d that thing get in?” He hurried to the window before turning back to her, “Where were you?”

“I just went to get some water from the well. I was only gone maybe, like, two minutes…”

“You shouldn’t have gone outside. Ava, we have to stay in here…” He trailed off upon noticing the disturbed salt on the window, “Who did that?”

She shook her head frantically, still crying, “I don’t know, maybe Andy-”

“Andy wouldn’t do that. Ava, that line _wasn’t_ broken when I left.” At her silence his jaw clenched, “ _Ava_.”

“ _What_?” She scoffed, “You don’t think that I-”

“I’ll tell you what I think: _five months_ .” He glared as he slowly advanced on her, Ava carefully stepping back to match him, “You’re the _only_ one with all that time you can’t account for. And that headache you got… _Right_ when the demon got Lily.”

“ _What are you trying to say_?”

“ _What happened to you_?”

“ _Nothing_ !” Sam stared her down until a minute later, she dropped the act, and chuckled, “Had you going though, didn’t I?” She wiped her eyes, drying her face, “Yeah, I’ve been here a long time, and not alone, either. People just keep _showing_ up. _Children_ , like us. Batches of three or four at a time.”

“You killed them?” Sam scoffed, “All of them?”

“ _I’m the undefeated heavyweight champ_.”

Sam watched her in disgust, “Oh, my God.”

“Don’t think _God_ has much to do with this, Sam.”

“How could you?”

“ _I had no choice_ . It's _me_ or _them_ . After a while, it was easy. _It was even kind of fun_. I just stopped fighting it.”

“Fighting _what_?”

“ _Who we are_ , Sam. If you'd just quit your hand-wringing and open yourself up, _you have no idea what you can do_ . The learning curve is so fast, it’s crazy, the switches that just flip in your brain.” She laughed, “I can’t believe I started out just having _dreams_. Do you know what I can do now?”

“Control demons.”

“Ah, _you are quick on the draw_ .” She put her hands to her head, “Yeah, I’m sorry, Sam, but _it’s over_.”

The cloud of black smoke returned to the window as Sam readied his iron bar. Just as it was about to enter, Jake came from behind AVA and twisted her neck, killing her instantly. The demonic smoke left the window and disappeared.

Outside, near the edge of the woods, Angel, Bobby and Dean pulled up in the Impala.

“Well…” Bobby sighed as they got out and walked back to the trunk to retrieve guns, “It looks like the rest of the way’s on foot.”

Dean cocked his, “Let’s go.”

Back at the building, Sam and Jake left and headed outside.

Sam led, “I think we can make it out of here now.”

“But the Acheri demon…”

“No, no, no. Ava was _summoning_ it, _controlling_ it. It shouldn’t come back now that she’s dead. We gotta go.”

“Not _‘we’_ , Sam. Only one of us is getting out of here.” He frowned grimly, “I- I’m sorry.”

Sam swung around, “ _What_?”

“I had a _vision_ . That Yellow-Eyed Demon or _whatever_ it was, he _talked_ to me. _He told me how it was_.”

“No, Jake, listen. You can’t _listen_ to _him_.”

“ _Sam_ , he’s not letting _us_ go. _Only one_ . Now, if we don’t play along, _he’ll kill us both_ . I-I like you, man. I do, but do the math here. What good’s it do for _both_ of us to die? _I_ can get out of here. _I get close to the demon, I can kill the bastard_.”

“You come with me, _we can kill him together_.”

He shook his head, “How do I know you won’t turn on me?”

“ _I won’t_.”

“I don’t _know_ that.”

“Okay, _look_ .” Sam took out his knife, showed it to Jake, and placed it on the ground, “Just _come with me_ , Jake. Don’t do this. Don’t play into what it wants.” After a pause, Jake placed his weapon on the ground as well and Sam sighed in relief, “Okay.”

Suddenly, Jake punched him. With his super-strength, Sam went flying across the field and crashed onto the ground. Jake approached, kicking down the fence and leaning over Sam menacingly.

**SECTION FIVE**

Sam was on the ground, winded, as he and Jake watched each other. As Jake suddenly made a fast approach to kick Sam, Sam kicked out himself and the two exchanged blows with Sam on the ground before he leveraged himself up. Each landed multiple blows; one blow hit Sam’s right arm and shoulder with a bone-crunching sound, knocking him down again. He got up quickly although clearly in pain. Jake approached and swung again but Sam ducked out of the way and Jake’s punch went through a wooden railing, temporarily holding him. Sam kneed him several times, then kicked him down. As Jake lied there, winded, Sam picked up the iron bar that Jake was using and knocked him out. Sam approached the unconscious Jake, consideringly, and lifted the bar as if to strike. He hesitated a moment before making a decision and tossed the bar to the ground. Just as he tossed it aside, he heard from a distance Angel and Dean calling his name.

“Sam!”

“Sammy!”

Relief filled Sam at their voices and he turned towards them, still clutching his arm, and nearly staggering with exhaustion. He saw Angel, Dean and Bobby approaching, with flashlights, towards him. They all hurried towards each other, in the rain.

“Angel!” Sam yelled in relief and happiness, “Dean!”

Jake suddenly woke up. He grabbed the knife that Sam had placed on the ground and sprinted towards his turned back.

Angel gasped at the sight as she and Dean picked up their pace, “Sam!’’

“Look out!”

“Behind you, Sammy!”

Grief and terror flooded Angel as she watched the soldier stab the knife into Sams back. She and Dean screamed for their little brother as they sprinted towards them. Jake twisted the knife in his back creating a massive wound. It was like Angels whole world fell apart in front of her. Her brothers, her family, they were her entire life. Her entire heart. And it felt like that had just been ripped away from her.

Sam gasped in pain before falling to his knees. While Bobby chased after JAke, Angle and Dean slid to the ground in front of Sam, tears falling down both of their faces. 

Dean grabbed at Sam’s clothing, trying to keep him conscious, “No, _Sam_!”

He fell forward, slumping against them, “Sammy?” Angel slapped his cheek trying to keep him conscious, “”Hey, hey, you're gonna be fine. Lemme look at you a second.” 

Panic and grief surged through her when she looked down at the wound then touched it, covering her entire palm in blood. Her wide panic struck eyes met Deans relaying the grim reality they were in now.

“Hey, look at us.” Dean brought him back trying to get his eyes to focus on them, “It’s not even that bad, alright? Sammy?” As they held him up his head started wobbling and his eyes started to unfocus, “Sam!”

“No, no, no.” Angel whimpered, her heart breaking more and more, “We- we’re gonna patch you up, okay? I can patch you up and- and we can get you to a hospital. You’ll be good as new.” She touched her little brother's now slack distant face, “Sam? Sammy!” Sam's eyes slid shut as his entire body slumped forward, “Oh, god, No, no, no…” Angel wailed as she tried to get him up, “Dean, help me get him up! He- help me-”

“He’s gone, Angel.” He stopped her, tears streaming down his face in grief and despair as he rocked both of them in his arms, “He's dead.”


	13. Chapter Thirteen: All Hell Breaks Loose: Part Two

**DISCLAIMER:** I only own my character! Anything you might recognize is courtesy of the CW.

**WARNING:** Some of these episodes/chapters may contain graphic violence, cursing, mentions of suicide or assault and other triggering aspects. Proceed with caution please.

  
  


Angel numbly sat beside Sam's dead body staring at him in grief. She had been in that position all night, the tears never ceasing, just staring. Bobby tried to get her to move, even Dean, but she wouldn't budge. Her little brother was just murdered in front of her at 23 years old and she couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. Someone she's been protecting since he was a baby. Someone she basically raised along with Dean.  _ Dean _ . Her other little brother was hurting just as much as she was. His heart breaking even more watching Angel.

“Sammy…” Angel leaned forward, grasping Sam's hand, “You know… your whole life Dean and I tried to keep hunting secret from you. We wanted you to stay a kid,  _ be as normal as you could be for as long as possible _ . It broke my heart when you found out the truth…  _ About this life, about mom, about everything _ , and when you told us you were going to Stanford… I was so proud of you, Sammy. I mean I knew I was gonna miss you, and so were Dad and Dean, but… but I knew Stanford was a better life for you than Hunting. I knew that decision meant you were safer in the long run. Away from all this. Even if I was a bitch when you came back.” She scoffed as she put her head in her hands, “I just… I just wish we’d never dragged you back in, Sammy.” She brought her eyes up to look at his face as more tears slid down her cheeks, “I've protected you guys your whole lives so i promise, somehow,  _ I'm gonna fix this _ . I  _ promise  _ you that.”

Dean stood near them, listening sadly and watching her closely. He didn't know what to do either. It broke his heart watching his family fall apart. First his mom, then his dad and now Sammy. He felt helpless, and he didn't know how to stop it but he was going to try 

“Dean, Angel?” Bobby arrived, holding a bucket of fried chicken, “Brought you guys somethin’ back.”

“No, thanks.” Dean said not even sparing him a glance as Angel didn't even acknowledge his presence, “I'm fine.”

“You should eat something.” His eyes moved from him to Angel sadly, “Both of you.”

Dean took a long swig from a bottle of whiskey instead, “I said I'm fine

“Dean…” Bobby sent another sad eye to Sam and Angel, “I hate to bring this up,  _ I really do _ , but don't you think maybe it's time… we bury Sam?”

“ _ No _ .”

“We could…” Bobby sighed, “Maybe…”

“ _ What _ ?” Dean turned to him coldly, “ _ Torch his corpse _ ? Not yet.”

Bobby locked eyes with him, “I want you two to come with me.”

“We’re not going anywhere.”

“Dean,  _ please _ .”

Dean scoffed, this conversation being one of the last things he wanted to deal with at the moment, “Would you cut me some slack?”

“I just don't think you two should be alone, that's all.” He mended, “I gotta admit, I could use both of your help.” Dean snorted but Bobby ignored him, “Something big is going down-  _ end-of-the world big _ .”

Dean angered, his voice rising, “ _ Then let it end _ !”

Angel, at the hostility in her brother's voice, got up and turned to see what was going on.

Bobby shook his head at Dean, “You don't mean that.”

Quickly Dean got up and stood in Bobby's face, “You don't think so?  _ Huh _ ?  _ You don't think I've given enough? You don't think my sister’s given enough _ ? You don't think we’ve  _ paid  _ enough? I'm done with it.  _ All of it _ . And if you know what's good for you, you'd turn around, and get the hell out of here.” Bobby just stood there, shaking his head so Dean shoved him roughly, “ _ Go _ !”

“ _ Dean _ .” 

At Angel's voice he turned around and paused before looking back at Bobby contritely, “I'm sorry.  _ Please _ , just  _ go _ .” 

Turning, he walked back into the room with Sam earning sad looks from Angel and Bobby alike. 

Angel studied him before turning to Bobby, “We just need some time, Bobby.”

“Okay darlin.” Bobby turned to the door with a sad sigh, “You know where I'll be.”

When he left Angel walked back over to her brothers and let Dean have his last moments with Sammy.

“You know…” Dean leaned forward, looking to Sam in grief, “Angel was right when she said we tried to protect you when we were little. We… just wanted you to stay the happy kid you were, but uh you couldn't have been more than 5 when you just started asking us questions.  _ How come we didn't have a mom? Why do we always have to move around? Where'd Dad go when he'd take off for days at a time? _ I remember I  _ begged  _ you, ‘ _ Quit asking, Sammy. Man, you don't want to know _ .’ Angel always had smart ways of distracting you from it and they always seemed to get your attention away from asking questions… We just wanted you to be a  _ kid _ … Just for a little while longer.” He looked up to his brother, “We- we always tried to protect you…  _ Keep you safe _ … Dad didn't even have to tell us. It was just always our responsibility, you know? I think when we were younger, it fell more on Angie's shoulders. Hell  _ she basically raised us by herself _ , but uh as we got older I tried to take some of that responsibility. I made sure she didn't have to worry about you so much. I tried to protect you… It's like I had  _ one  _ job…  _ I had one job _ , and I  _ screwed  _ it up.” Dean paused at the emotion that rocked through him, “ _ I blew it _ , and for that, I'm sorry.” He wiped tears from his face, “I guess that's what I do. I let down the people I love. I let  _ Dad  _ down. I let  _ Angel  _ down, and now I guess I'm just supposed to let  _ you  _ down, too. How can I? How am I supposed to live with that?” He started crying harder, “What am I supposed to do? Sammy.  _ God _ . What am I supposed to do?”

Angel couldn't hear anymore. She couldn't take any more pain. She certainly couldn't take Dean blaming himself for Sam's death. Grabbing the keys to her Trans Am, she jumped in before putting it in gear and peeling out recklessly, looking pale and more than determined to fix things. Stopping on a dirt road, she got out and went to the back of the Trans Am before inserting several items into a box. They included: a fake photo ID of herself, graveyard dirt, and a bone from a black cat. She buried the box in the middle of a crossroads and stood. Her breathing escalated as several seconds passed in silence.

“Oh, come on already!” She yelled as she looked from right to left, more than impatient, “I know you're here so come out already!”

Suddenly, a beautiful woman in a black dress appeared right in front of Angel, “ _ Easy sugar _ , you'll wake the neighbors.” She flashed her red eyes for a moment, “ _ Angel Winchester _ . It is so,  _ so  _ good to see you.” It studied her for a beat, “I mean it.  _ Look at you _ . Gone and got your family killed.  _ First you couldn't protect mommy, then daddy dies and now baby Sammy _ . I mean it's simply  _ delicious  _ isn't it? It's too sweet. Excuse me, you're gonna have to give me a moment.” She walked to Angel, face to face and so close Angel had to squelch her instincts to back up, “ _ Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the roses _ .”

Angel glared hatefully, her hands clutching into tight fists, “I should send you  _ straight  _ back to hell.”

“Oh, you  _ should _ , but you  _ won't _ . And I know  _ why _ .”

“And why’s that?”

“ _ Following in Daddy's footsteps _ . You wanna make a  _ deal _ . Little Sammy back from the dead, and,  _ let me guess _ , you're offering up your own soul?”

“Deal of the century.” Angel lifted her head, “There are a hundred  _ plus  _ demons who'd love to get their hands on it, and it's all yours. All you gotta do is bring Sam back, and give me ten years. Then you come for me.”

The demon scoffed, “You must be joking.”

“Why? That's the same deal you give everybody else.”

“ _ You're _ not everybody else.” It leaned in, whispering, “Why would I want to give you  _ anything _ ? Keep your gutter soul. It's too tarnished, anyway.”

Angel nodded, “ _ Nine _ years then.”

“ _ No _ .”

“ _ Eight _ .”

It laughed at that, “You keep going, I'll keep saying  _ no _ .”

“Okay,  _ five  _ years.  _ Five  _ years, and you come for me. That's my last offer-  _ five years or no deal _ .”

The demon started leaning in for a kiss to seal the deal but stopped short, “ _ Then no deal _ .”

Angel clenched her jaw, “ _ Fine _ .”

“ _ Fine _ .” It started walking away, “Make sure you bury Sam before he starts stinking up the joint.”

Angel flinched, “ _ Wait _ .”

The demon turned, speaking softly, “ _ It's a fire sale, and everything must go _ .”

After a thick tension fueled beat, Angel's eyes snapped back up to the demon, “What do I have to do?”

“ _ First of all _ , quit  _ groveling _ . Needy girls make us  _ all  _ look bad.” It sighed, “Look…  _ Look _ , I shouldn't be doing this. I could get in a lot of trouble, but  _ what can I say _ ? I got a blind spot for you, Angel. You're like a… puppy.  _ You're just too fun not to play with _ .” It sighed deeply, “I'll do it.”

Hope filled her, “You'll bring him back?”

“I will, and because I'm such a  _ saint _ , I'll give you  _ one  _ year, and  _ one year only _ . But here's the thing. If you try and welch or weasel your way out, then the deal is off. Sam drops dead, and to put up a little security blanket I'll send my hounds after  _ Dean  _ too.  _ They're both rotten meat in no time _ .”

“You can't do that.” She scoffed, “Deans got nothing to do with this.”

“ _ Oh _ ? But doest he? In fact, the middle brother is busy trying to make a little deal of his own,  _ right now. _ ” Angel glared and shifted at that revelation, “But see, we’ve got a softie for the oldest. So… What'll it be?  _ Demon Dean or a Demon named Angel _ ?” At Angels pained look the demon pressed on, “It's a better deal than your  _ dad  _ ever got. What do you say?”

Without a second though Angel grabbed the demon and kissed her to seal the deal. Within another beat the demon disappeared. Minuted later, she heard the roar of a familiar engine and the crunching gravel of tires snaring to a stop.

“Angel!  _ Angel _ .” Dean's voice sounded behind her before he ran up to her grabbing her shoulders and whipping her around, “Angel,  _ what the hell did you do _ ? Huh? What were you thinking?”

“I just saved our little brother.” She glared then pushed him off of her, “And  _ apparently  _ you too! Why the hell would you call a crossroads?”

“That's real rich after  _ this _ .” Dean scoffed, “I mean what the hell, Angel? What- how long?” She looked away from him so he screamed it at her, “ _ How long _ ?!”

“A year!  _ One  _ year, Dean.” Grief over took his face and Angel held in her own tears, “Look… I- I did what I had to do. I did what you would have,  _ exactly  _ what dad did-”

“ _ Exactly _ Angel. Dad brought  _ us  _ back. Sam-  _ he needs you _ . At least if i had done it my life would have meant something. Something  _ good  _ could’ve come from a deal like this and instead  _ you're  _ going to die!”

“ _ What _ ?” She scoffed, “You have that low of an opinion of yourself Dean? Huh?” She grabbed his coat, “Dean, i watched you two grow up. I raised you guys,  _ protected you all your lives _ . That's  _ my  _ job, not yours. I  _ had  _ to do this. I couldn't let him die, Dean,  _ I couldn't. _ ” 

Dean was so filled with anger and grief he couldn't look at her. He couldn't think straight but when she walked away from him he swung around.

“Where the hell are you going?”

  
“ _ To see if it worked _ .”

**SECTION TWO**

Back in the room, Sam, now alive from Angel’s deal, was standing in front of a mirror. He examined his back, wincing, with a look of pain. There was a scar from where the knife was stabbed into his spine but other than that the wound was no longer fatal. Quietly Dean and Angel came through the door and entered the room. They both stopped in shock when they saw Sam up, walking around and alive.

“Sammy?”

Tears flowed down Angel's face once again as she actually came to grips with the fact that the deal worked, “Thank god.”

He looked over to them with a small smile, “Hey.” Instantly the two of them pull Sam into a tight sibling group hug, “ _ Ow _ .” Sam grimaced, “Uh, guys…”

Releasing him, Dean scoffed lightly, “Sorry, man. It’s just…” He motioned between him and Angel, “We’re just happy to see you up and around, that's all.” 

Sam nodded, looking between them puzzled. 

“Come on, sit down, little brother.” Angel helped him over to a chair, “Before you stroke out or something.”

“Okay.” He obeyed, then looked at them curiously, “Uh… what happened to me?”

“Well…” Angel, earning a quiet glare from Dean, shifted, “What do you remember?”

“I- I saw you two and Bobby, and… I felt this pain. This  _ sharp  _ pain, like…  _ white-hot _ , you know? Then you guys started running at me, and… that's about it.”

“Yeah…” Dean nodded, explaining, “That- that kid stabbed you in the back. You lost a lot of blood, you know… It was pretty touch and go for awhile.”

“But- but…” His brows furrowed from him to Angel, “You can't- you can't  _ patch up _ a wound that bad.”

“No.” Angel interjected quickly, “ _ Bobby _ could.” She offered a hollow smile, “Who was that kid, anyway?”

“His name's Jake.” Sam's eyes flashed up to them, “Did you get him?”

“No, uh, he disappeared into the woods.”

“We got to find him, and  _ I swear  _ I'm gonna tear that son of a bitch apart.” 

Sam stood up with the two of them following suit.

“ _ Whoa, whoa, whoa _ .” Dean stopped, “Easy,  _ Van Damme _ . You just woke up, alright?”

“We don't have time to-”

“ _ Listen _ , Sammy, just- just give your body a little time okay?” Angel instructed grabbing onto his arm, “Let's get you something to eat. Huh? You gotta be starving?” Sam nodded a little, “Good, I  _ know  _ Dean is.” Dean shrugged, and Angel led them out, “Come on.”

**_Later on…_ **

Dean and Sam sat at the table, eating. Angel studied Sam as he explained what happened while he was gone.

“And that's when you guys showed up.”

“That's awful.” Dean frowned, “Poor Andy.”

“The demon said he only wanted  _ one  _ of us to walk out alive.”

Angel raised a brow, “He  _ told  _ you that?”

“Yep.” Sam scoffed, “He appeared in a dream.”

“He tell you anything else?”

“No.” Sam shook his head, effectively putting his Winchester mask in place, “That was it. Nothing else. You know, what I don't get? If the demon only wanted  _ one  _ of us, then how did Jake and I  _ both  _ get away?”

“Uh, well, they left you for dead.” Angel shifted, “So I'm sure they thought it was over. Highly doubt they expected you to live through.”

Dean took a large bite of pizza, turning away, “So now that Yellow Eyes has Jake, what's he gonna do with him?”

“I don't know.” Sam's jaw tensed as he looked at his plate, “But whatever it is, we got to stop him.”

“ _ No _ …” Angel argued, “Right now,  _ you  _ need to get your rest and heal up.” 

“She's right Sam. We got time.”

“ _ No _ , we don't.”

“Sam, do you see any bad omens being thrown in our face at the moment?  _ Boiling oceans, locusts, frogs falling from the sky _ ?” Angel cocked her eyebrow, “ _ No _ . So right now you need to work on getting your strength back.”

Sam let a breath out, “Well did you call the roadhouse? They know anything?”

“Yeah…” 

Dean and Angel shared a look that Sam didn't miss.

“What is it?”

“The roadhouse burned to the ground. Ash is dead.” Dean informed, sitting down, “Probably Ellen- a lot of other hunters, too.”

Sam, with tears in his eyes, looked to his brother, “Demons?”

“Yeah, we think so. We think because Ash found something.”

“What did he find?”

“We don't know yet.” Angel looked down, “Bobby's working on that right now.”

“Well, come on then. Bobby's only a few hours away.”

Sam began to stand and the two other Winchesters instantly followed. 

Dean grabbed Sam by the shoulders, “Whoa,  _ stop _ , Sam,  _ stop _ !” His jaw tightened and he looked from him to Angel and back, “You almost  _ died  _ in there. I mean, what would we have- can't you just take care of yourself for a  _ little  _ bit, huh? Just for a little bit?”

“I'm sorry.” His gaze flashed between them, “ _ No _ .”

Angel shook her head, “Sam-”

“ _ No _ , Angel.” He interrupted, “I need to do this.”

“ _ Fine _ .” She glared, picking up her jacket, “Then ride with Dean. I need to think.”

Thinking was a strong word. She couldn't think. Her mind was foggy from everything happening, from the yellow eyed demon down to her own deal and what this meant for her brothers. _ Especially for Sam _ . She even made a call to Asa, but didn't know what to say though. Eventually just telling him it might be awhile before they speak again. She didn't want him involved in this. If he knew he’d just try to get her out of it, and that could spell disaster for both Sam and Dean. She wasn't willing to risk it.

**_At Bobby’s…_ **

Once they pulled up to Bobby's place and walked to the door Sam knocked hurriedly. Bobby opened it but as soon as he saw Sam, shock and astonishment filled his face.

“Hey, Bobby.”

Dean looked at him with a knowing eye as his eyes flashed to Angel. She looked away from him almost immediately.

Sam smiled, “Hey, Bobby.”

“Sam…” Bobby swallowed the lump in his throat, “It’s- It's good to… see you up and around.”

“Yeah…” Sam patted him on the shoulder as he walked past him into the house, “Thanks for patching me up.” 

Bobby frowned, “Don't mention it.” 

Dean followed him and then Angel both earning a hard glare from Bobby, one vibrating with unspoken emotion.

“Well, Sam’s better and we’re here…  _ Apparently  _ back in the fight,  _ so… _ ” Angel clapped her hands together stiffly as her eyes lifted, “What do you know?”

Sam looked at all three of them curiously. He noted the tension between them but didn't understand it.

“I found something, but I'm not sure what the hell it means.”

“What is it?”

“ _ Demonic omens _ … like a frickin'  _ tidal  _ wave.  _ Cattle deaths. Lightning storms _ . They skyrocketed from out of nowhere.  _ Here _ .” Bobby pointed to Wyoming on a map, “All around here, except for  _ one  _ place...  _ Southern Wyoming _ .”

Dean looked to him curiously, “Wyoming?”

Angel surveyed the map, “What's in Wyoming?”

“ _ Nothing _ . That one area's totally clean-  _ spotless _ . It's almost as if…”

“What?”

“The demons are surrounding it.”

Dean raised a brow, “But you don't know why?”

“No, and by this point my eyes are swimming.” Bobby turned, “Sam, would you take a look at it? Maybe you could catch something I couldn't.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“You two come with me. I got some more books in the truck. Help me lug 'em in.”

Angel and Dean looked at each other knowing why he wanted them outside and followed Bobby out. The three walked into the junkyard when Bobby stopped and turned to face them, stopping them from walking further. 

“You stupide ass!” Finally he grabbed Dean by the coat, “What did you do?”

“It wasn't him Bobby!” Angel separated them when Dean stayed silent, “Calm down.”

“ _ What _ ?” 

He turned to her as shock filled his face, and then finally realization.

Angel turned to her little brother pointedly, “ _ Dean _ .” 

He looked at her like he wasn't going anywhere but at her glare put his hands up and walked back inside.

Bobby glared, “You made a  _ deal… _ ” He scoffed, “For Sam, didn't you? How long did they give you?”

“Bobby.”

“ _ How long _ ?!”

“One year.”

“Damn it.” Grief overtook him, “ _ Damn it _ , Angel. You're supposed to be the  _ smart  _ one, and  _ this _ ?  _ This is the stupidest thing you've ever pulled _ ! The  _ stupidest- _ ”

“Look, right now we just need to find this yellow-eyed waste of space and kill him. I'll do it myself that way nobody else has to worry about dying.” She shrugged motioning with her hands, “I've got nothing to lose now, right?”

Fire blazed in Bobby's eyes, “I should kill you, little girl!”

“What, and send me away  _ early _ ?” She offered her signature Winchester smirk, “You aren't that mean, old man.”

Bobby rolled his eyes at her then glared again, “What is it with you Winchesters, huh?  _ You, your dad _ . You're both just  _ itching  _ to throw yourselves down the pit!”

“That's my point. Dad brought us back, Bobby.” Tears welled but she refused to let them fall, “ _ He protected us, he saved us _ . Now he's gone. It's my job to make sure my brothers are okay. There's no way I was going to let Sam,  _ either of them _ , die Bobby. That's not in me. He's my baby brother. I couldn't do it.”

“How is your  _ baby brother _ gonna feel when he knows you're gonna get dragged down to hell?  _ Huh _ ?” Bobby yelled making her flinch, “How'd it affect Dean when he found out about your dad, huh?  _ It tore him up _ !”

“You can't tell him. Not right now.” Angel shook her head before pleading to him with her eyes, “ _ Bobby _ .”

Tears began to fall from Bobby's eyes as grief finally overtook him. He grabbed Angel into a tight hug when suddenly there was a clunk from a distant part of the junkyard. The two of them looked at one another before they crawled to the side of a car, and grabbed the intruder. Once they had her by the shoulders, they recognized her as Ellen.

“Ellen?” Ellen nodded before she started to cry, “Ellen.” Angel and Bobby took her into a relieved embrace, “Oh, God.”

**SECTION THREE**

Ellen and Bobby were sitting at a table in front of the boys and Angel. Bobby poured Ellen a shot of liquid from a flask and pushed it towards her. 

“Bobby…” Ellen gave him an eye, “Is this really necessary?”

“Just a belt of Holy Water.” He shrugged, “Shouldn't hurt.”

Ellen lifted the shot glass to her mouth and swallowed the water effortlessly, “Whiskey now, if you don't mind.”

“Ellen, what happened?” Dean asked, “How'd you get out?”

“I wasn't supposed to. I was supposed to be in there with everybody else.” She scoffed, “But we ran out of pretzels,  _ of all things _ . It was just dumb luck.” She drank the whiskey Bobby poured for her and exhaled sharply, “Anyway, that's when Ash called. Panic in his voice.” She sighed sadly, “He told me to look in the safe. Then the call cut out. By the time I got back, the flames were sky-high, and everybody was dead. I couldn't have been gone more than  _ fifteen minutes _ .”

Sam's eyes dropped, “I’m sorry, Ellen.”

“A lot of  _ good  _ people died in there, and  _ I  _ got to live.” Ellen teared up and scoffeds, “ _ Lucky me _ .”

Angel looked at her sadly but pressed on, “E, you mentioned a safe? Demons get that?”

“No.” She shook her head quickly, “It was hidden in the basement.” 

She pulled out a map from her pocket, unfolded it and set it down on the table. It had several black lines and X's on it.

“Wyoming.” Dean pointed to the lines drawn curiously, “What does that mean?”

Later on, as Bobby read from a large book, he scoffed, “I don't believe it.”

He sat the book on a table earning looks all around.

“What? You got something?”

“A lot more than that. Each of these X's…” He pointed to the marks on the map, “Is an abandoned frontier church-  _ all mid-19th century _ , and  _ all  _ built by  _ Samuel Colt _ .”

“ _ Samuel Colt _ ?” Dean repeated in shock, “The  _ demon-killing, gunmaking _ Samuel Colt?”

“Yep, and there's more. He built private railway lines.” He pointed to the black lines on the map, “Connecting church to church. It just happens to lay out like this.” 

With a marker, he connected the points on the map until the shape of a star is made.

Angel scoffed, “Tell me that's not what I think it is.”

“It's a Devil's Trap.” Sam nodded in shock as well, “ _ A 100-square mile Devil's Trap _ .”

“That's  _ brilliant _ .” Dean grinned, “Iron lines demons can't cross.”

Ellen gaped, “I've never heard of anything that massive.”

“No one has.”

“And after all these years none of the lines are broken?” Dean asked, “I mean, it still works?”

“Has to.” Angel bit her lip looking over the map, “All these omens, and the demons… They must be circling and they can't get in.”

“Yeah, well…” Bobby motioned, “ _ They're trying _ .”

“Why?” Angel asked, “What's inside?”

“That's what I've been looking for, and uh…” Dean shook his head, “There's nothing except an old cowboy cemetery right in the middle.”

“What's so important about a  _ cemetery  _ or… what's Colt trying to  _ protect _ ?”

“Well, unless…”

Bobby's eyes lifted to Dean, “Unless  _ what _ ?”

“What if Colt wasn't trying to keep the demons out? What if he was trying to keep something  _ in _ ?”

Ellen grumbled, “Now  _ that's  _ a comforting thought.”

“Yeah, you think?”

“Could they do it, Bobby?” Sam asked, “Could they get inside?”

“This thing's so powerful, you'd practically need an  _ A-bomb _ to destroy it. No way a full-blood demon gets across.”

“No.” Sam paused realizing something, “But I know who could.”

**_At the cemetery…_ **

That night, as the team was hiding in wait for Jake, the cemetery gate opened and Jake entered, walking towards a crypt. Angel and Dean stood behind a large tomb, gun in hand, and opposite the others.

Sam stepped out, followed by the rest of them with their guns raised, “ _ Howdy _ , Jake.”

“Wait…” Jake's face paled, like he'd seen a ghost, “You were dead.  _ I killed you _ .”

“Yeah? Well next time,  _ finish the job _ .”

“ _ I did _ ! I cut clean through your spinal cord, man.” At his words, Sam glanced at Angel and Dean who both lowered their eyes from him, “You  _ can't  _ be alive.  _ You can't be _ .”

“Okay…” Bobby shuffled forward carefully, “Just take it real easy there, son.”

“And if I  _ don't _ ?”

Sam glared, “ _ Wait and see _ .”

“What…” Jake turned his evil eye onto Sam, “You a  _ tough  _ guy all of a sudden? What are you gonna do-  _ kill me _ ?”

“It's a thought.”

“You had your chance.  _ You couldn't _ .”

“I won't make that mistake twice.”

As Jake began to laugh, Dean glared hatefully, “What are you smiling at,  _ you little bitch _ ?”

Jake looked from Dean right over to Angel, a smirk playing on his lips. She shifted at the look in his eye. 

“Hey blondie, do me a favor.  _ Put that gun to your head _ .” 

Dean's glare went from him worriedly to his sisters terrified eyes, “Angel?”

Angel's breathing sped up and she started shaking as she brought her gun to her temple.

Jake smiled, “See that Ava girl was right. Once you give in to it, there's all sorts of new  _ Jedi mind _ tricks you can learn.”

Sam angered, “Let her go!”

Angel glowered at Jake before sending a look to Dean, trying and failing to keep the tremble from her voice, “ _ Shoot him _ .”

Jake motioned his head, “You'll be mopping up skull before you get a shot off.”

“ _ Dean _ .” She growled, “Shoot him.  _ Now _ .”

Everyone paused but Dean couldn't do it and he dropped his gun.

Jake grinned triumphantly, “Everybody, put your guns down. Except you, beautiful.” They abide, “Okay, thank you.” 

Jake turned around and pulled the Colt out of his pocket. While he was inserting it into the crypt, Dean and Bobby grabbed Angel before she could shoot herself. The gun let off one round, narrowly missing her, just as Sam shot Jake four times in the back. Jake fell onto the ground, and Sam walked to stand over him.

“Please…  _ don't _ .” Jake gasped, “ _ Please _ .”

Sam shot him three more times in the chest as blood splattered onto his face. Ellen and Bobby walked past him, with Bobby staring at him hard. Dean and Angel walked over to look at Jake, then Sam, who wiped the blood from his face silently.

The crypt in front of them started spinning the two separate engravings in different directions, then stopped. 

“This…” Angel stiffened, “This… can't be good.”

“It's not.”

Ellen turned, “Bobby, what is it?”

“ _ It's hell _ .”

Dean pulled the Colt from the Crypt as Bobby shouted, “Take cover-  _ now _ !”

All five ran behind tombstones as the doors to the crypt burst open. A large black mass erupted from the other side and shot outward. The demons from that black mass immediately breached the Devil's Trap, escaping.

**SECTION FOUR**

Black demon smoke poured from the crypt, with individual trails of smoke haring off in different directions. 

Dean yelled from behind a tombstone, “ _ What the hell just happened _ ?!” 

“That's a devil's gate!” Ellen yelled back, “ _ A damn door to hell _ .”

“Oh  _ great _ .” Angel grumbled, “ _ Freakin great. _ ”

“Come on!” Ellen demanded, “We gotta shut that gate!”

They all ran for the gates trying to close them. All except for Dean who checked the Colt for bullets.

“If the demon gave this to Jake… then maybe…”

Thunder crashed and the Yellow Eyed Demon appeared behind Dean. He flung the Colt out of Deans hand and into his own. Dean looked back at him, astonished. 

“ _ Boys shouldn't play with Daddy's guns _ .” 

He threw Dean into the air, where he hit his head on a tombstone and lied there unconscious.

Bobby, Ellen, Angel and Sam were still struggling to close the crypt door when Sam looked over and saw Dean down. When he looked over he saw Yellow Eyes who gave him a grin.

“Dean!”

Angel looked over and noticed as well then grunted with the pressure of the gate door when Sam took off.

“Sam!  _ Don’t _ !” 

She sent Bobby a pained look and the hunter ran over to her side so she could take off after her brothers.

Yellow eyes threw Sam against a nearby tree, “I'll get to you in a minute, champ, but I'm proud of you-  _ knew you had it in you _ .” Dean was struggling upright so Yellow Eyes threw him against a post, “ _ Sit a spell _ .” 

He then smacked Angel against a massive tombstone when she ran over. She grunted at the impact pushing the blackness aside when she hit her head.

“Oh,  _ Angel…  _ I gotta thank you. You see, demons can't  _ resurrect  _ people,  _ unless a deal is made _ . I know, red tape-  _ it'll make you nuts _ , but thanks to  _ you _ ,  _ Sammy's back in rotation _ .” He laughed, “ _ Now _ , I wasn't counting on  _ that _ , but I'm glad. I liked  _ him  _ better than  _ Jake _ , anyhow. Tell me- have you ever heard the expression, ‘ _ If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is _ ?’”

“ _ Hm _ .” Angel wheezed out a laugh, “That's a  _ good  _ deal to you?  _ Please _ .”

“Well,  _ it's a better shake than your dad ever got _ , and you never wondered why? I'm surprised at you. I mean…” Yellow Eyes approached Angel to speak to her face-to-face, “You saw what your brother just did to Jake, right? That was pretty  _ cold _ , wasn't it?” He chuckled, “How certain are you that what you brought back, is  _ 100%, pure, Sam _ ?” Sam and Dean both watch on in horror as now not only black demon smoke is flying around but ghosts as well, Yellow Eyes laughed again, “You should know sweet cheeks…  _ that what's dead, should stay dead _ .  _ Anyway _ … thanks a bunch. I knew I kept you alive for some reason. Until  _ now _ , anyway. I couldn't have done it without your  _ pathetic, self-loathing, self-destructive _ desire to sacrifice yourself for your family.”

As Yellow Eyes cocked the Colt and aimed it at Angel, John Winchester's ghost grabbed the demon from behind. The body the demon possessed fell to the ground, gun still in hand, while John and the black cloud of demon smoke wrestled. The demon pushed him to the ground and entered the body once more. When he stood up, Angel was pointing the Colt at him, and shot him in the heart without hesitation. The demon then fell to the ground, dead.

Bobby and Ellen finally closed the gate doors and turned to see John. Sam and Dean both stood up to face their father, tears in their eyes and shock on their faces. John walked forward, and smiled at Angel, putting his hand on her cheek. They stared at each other, communicating silently about not only the demon finally being dead but about what was to come in the future due to the deal she made. Both were teary as the boys approached. Angel and John both look at them knowingly, lovingly, and the boys nod to him. He smiled and with another look at his daughter, John stepped back and disappeared into white light.

**SECTION FIVE**

The Winchester siblings all stood over the demon's smoking body, almost in shock. 

“Well…” Dean laughed a little, “Check  _ that  _ off the  _ to-do  _ list.”

Sam looked over to his sister with wide eyes, “You did it.”

“I guess… I did.” She took a steadying breath, looking to where her dad was standing, “But I didn't do it alone.”

“Do you think Dad really…” Sam cleared his throat, “Do you think he really climbed outta hell?”

“The door was open.” Dean motioned, looking over to hit, “If anyone's stubborn enough to do it…  _ it would be him _ .”

“Where do you think he is now?”

“I don't know.”

“I kind of can't believe it, guys. I mean… our whole lives,  _ everything _ … has been  _ prepping  _ for  _ this _ , and now I…” Sam chuckled, “I kind of don't know what to say.”

Angel continued looking down at the body, still in stunned bliss, “Me either, Sammy…”

“I do.” Dean leaned closer to the body, “That was for our  _ Mom _ , you  _ son of a bitch _ .”

The three of them walked to the Impala but Sam stopped them before they got in, “You know, when Jake saw me… it was like he saw a ghost.” 

Dean sent a hard look to Angel who clenched her jaw painfully.

“I mean…” Sam scoffed, “You guys heard him,  _ he said he killed me _ .”

“Obviously he got it  _ wrong,  _ Sam.” Angel snapped, “Or you wouldn't be here.”

“I don't think he did.” Sam pushed on as he studied the two of them, “What happened? After I was stabbed?”

“We already told you.”

“Not  _ everything _ .”

“ _ Yes everything _ .” Angel gave him an exacerbated look, “Why can't we just enjoy the fact that we killed the demon that ruined our lives?”

“Did I  _ die _ ?”

“ _ No _ !”

“ _ Yes _ .”

“ _ Dean _ !” Angel yelled angrily when he answered, glowering at him, “Shut-”

“ _ Yes _ and she sold her soul to save you.  _ Just like dad did for us _ .”

“Dean!  _ Seriously _ ?”

“He deserves to know!”

Sam's face saddened as he studied his sister who wouldn't even meet his eye.

His voice broke when he spoke, “H- How long do you get?”

“One year, Sammy.” She answered softly and he nodded, tears in her eyes that matched his, “It gave me one year.”

“You shouldn't've done that.” He shook his head, angry now, “ _ How could you do that _ ?”

“Don't get mad at me, Sammy.  _ Please _ .” She cried, “I had to. You two… you're all i have… I  _ had  _ to look out for you. That's my job.”

“And what do you think  _ my  _ job is? What do you think  _ Dean's  _ job is, huh?”

“What?”

“You've saved our lives over and over. I mean,  _ you sacrificed everything for us _ . Don't you think we’d do the same for you?  _ You're my big sister _ . You  _ raised  _ me practically. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, and I don't care what it takes,  _ I'm gonna get you out of this _ .”

“ _ We’re _ gonna get you out of this.” Dean said coming over to them and putting a hand on her shoulders, “Guess we gotta save your ass for a change”

“ _ Funny _ .”

“Well…” Ellen approached them, “The Yellow-Eyed Demon might be dead, but a lot more got through that gate.”

Dean nodded, “How many you think?”

“ _ Hundred _ . Maybe _ two hundred _ .” Sam answered, “It's an army. He's unleashed an army.”

“Hope to hell you three are ready.” Bobby sighed, “‘ _ Cause the war has just begun _ .”

  
“Well, then…” Dean smiled, opening the impala's trunk so Angel could throw the colt inside, “ _We got work to do_.”


End file.
